


We Are Not Friends

by thisbeinghuman



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Amaya flirts, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Janai is a disaster lesbian, Janai totally doesn't have a crush on amaya, Oral Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sex, Sexual Tension, Sparring, definitely not, gay swordfighting, mostly follows canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22275760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisbeinghuman/pseuds/thisbeinghuman
Summary: The human’s hand closed around the hilt of the fire sword just as Janai tackled her, pinning both her wrists.“Let go,” Janai growled, but the human just looked at her. Or rather at her mouth. Which made sense because Janai had gathered that she understood spoken language by reading the words on people’s lips. But Janai had stopped speaking and the general’s eyes had not moved. All at once she became aware of how close they were. Janai’s brain unhelpfully ran through all the places her body touched the human’s; Janai’s hands on her wrists, Janai’s knees on either side of her waist, Janai’s hips against her navel.The tip of the general’s tongue wet her lips and she finally met Janai’s eyes. She had dark eyes with long lashes, and her face was flushed red and just a little sweaty. Janai was strangely frozen. The air was thick between them. One side of the woman’s mouth came up in the barest impression of a smile and she wet her lips again, just a little slower. Janai’s eyes skipped down to her mouth involuntarily and a split second later the human was kissing her, hard and insistent.Amaya kisses Janai during a fight. This makes her imprisonment even more fraught with sexual tension than in canon.
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Janaya
Comments: 21
Kudos: 257





	We Are Not Friends

**Author's Note:**

> In this story Amaya is imprisoned in Lux Aurea for around two weeks and it takes like a week to travel from Lux Aurea to the storm spire. I’m pretty sure in the show it’s waaay shorter but I wanted it to take more time. 
> 
> I don’t know any ASL or have a connection to the deaf and hearing-impaired community. I’ve tried to be respectful but I may have made mistakes. Please let me know if I’ve done anything insensitive. I have Amaya writing a lot to communicate with Janai which I realize isn’t great accessibility, but I didn’t know how else they could have one on one conversations when Janai doesn’t know how to sign. Also, Amaya is unrealistically good at lip-reading, but she is in the show as well.
> 
> Unbeta-ed. Let me know if I made mistakes!

Janai was patrolling alone when she came across the humans setting the explosives. There were five of them and Janai felt a familiar shock of excitement and nervousness when she saw one of them was the general. Her helmet was off and her short hair was slightly disheveled, but she still cut an impressive figure with her broad shoulders and heavy armour. 

Janai wasn’t even on duty, she had just wanted to take a walk. She was bored of sitting back in camp, surrounded by strategy maps and attack formations, waiting for the go ahead from Lux Aurea to take the human fort on the other side of the breach. It seemed a question of when and not if at this point. The next official patrol was several crucial minutes behind Janai. If she hadn’t happened to take a walk to clear her mind the humans would have blown the breach and the elves wouldn’t have had a clue until it was too late.

Janai stayed hidden while the humans finished their work; she didn’t like her chances against the human general and four of her soldiers. There was a time when Janai would have attacked a party of five humans without a second thought, but that was before she’d encountered this particular human. The general fought like a massive wave: steady, overwhelming, and undeterred by any obstacle. 

The human intrigued her. She looked around Janai’s age, young to be commanding an army. Also, her soldiers seemed to trust her implicitly, to hang on her every order. Janai wondered what kind of officer could climb through the ranks so quickly and inspire such loyalty in her men.

The humans finished their work and walked back towards the fort. As soon as they passed out of sight Janai ran to the barrels and examined them. Drawing her sword, she cut the cord which would detonate the explosives when the humans pulled it. She walked towards the humans, still out of sight, ready to defend her position if they tried to detonate again. 

A minute later the cord tugged, sluggish and ineffectual without the expected tension. Janai couldn’t help but smile to herself before stepping out from behind a lava flow, sword loosely by her side. She threw the severed cord on the ground and stared them down. If they all came at her at once she might lose, but hopefully they would assume she had backup. 

Two of the soldiers drew their swords. The general’s face twisted in rage and Janai felt a warm, gloating satisfaction. 

The general turned to converse with her soldiers, using the hand language Janai had seen her use before, then she mounted her horse and started towards Janai. Anticipation ran hot through Janai’s veins. But the general was stopped by the red headed soldier, her horse rearing slightly at the sudden halt. They talked for another moment, and the general smiled down at him gently, before kicking her horse back into motion. 

The human rode towards Janai at a gallop, leaning forward, a torch in one hand, her eyes blazing and her jaw set. Janai crouched into a solid stance, sword at the ready. 

Before the human could use the torch to detonate the explosives Janai leapt forward, sweeping her blade at the horse’s feet. The horse jumped, just clearing Janai’s sword, but landed badly. Both horse and rider fell, the human bouncing and rolling to a stop some distance from Janai. 

Janai approached slowly. the human began to get up, reaching for her torch, but she was a second too late; It slipped off the ledge and plummeted. She looked after it for a second, hand still outstretched. Then she turned back to Janai, fresh determination on her face. 

The human stood and drew her sword. A shiver went down Janai’s spine. There was so much power coiled in her form, and such a fiery look in her eyes. Janai felt a touch of unwilling fear, and something even more shameful, something she refused to think about.

The human dodged Janai’s first swing with apparent ease. Using her shield to briefly waylay Janai’s sword, she flashed up close, hooking the hilt of Janai’s sword with her own and shoulder checking her hard in the chest. Janai stumbled back a pace, her sword clattering to the ground several feet away, the rock around the blade glowing red immediately. The human pressed her back, putting space between Janai and her sword. Janai shifted into her heat form with a snarl, but the human did not seem daunted. She still had Janai retreating with a sword almost at her throat. Janai needed to regain the offensive. Mind reeling, she cast around for a makeshift weapon, but the ground was bare, black rock with a layer of dusty sand on top in places. Sand. Sand could be a weapon. 

She faked a stumble and fell carefully to the ground. When the human rushed forward to take advantage of Janai’s apparent distraction she received a face full of fine dust, obscuring her vision. 

Janai was instantly back off the ground and ducking through the human’s now erratic defences. She disarmed the distracted soldier quickly, but then a fist connected with her cheek. Even deaf and blind this woman could fight. 

She recovered quickly but the human was now blinking the dust out of her eyes, wiping them quickly with her sleeve. Janai dove towards her, she needed to get her down before she recovered fully. The human tripped away from her, fell backwards and scrambled back another foot on her hands and feet, looking behind her. Janai realized her plan too late. 

The human’s hand closed around the hilt of the fire sword just as Janai tackled her, pinning both her wrists and boxing her in. Janai’s hands were hot, not enough to burn her, but enough to be a warning. The human struggled, but had no leverage. Janai was bigger. 

“Let go,” Janai growled, letting her eyes glow a little for dramatic effect. But the human just looked at her. Or rather at her mouth. Which made sense because Janai had gathered that she understood spoken language by reading the words on people’s lips. But Janai had stopped speaking and the general’s eyes had not moved. All at once she became aware of how close they were. Janai’s brain unhelpfully ran through all the places her body touched the human’s; Janai’s hands on her wrists, Janai’s knees on either side of her waist, Janai’s hips against her navel. She could feel her skin warming in a way that had nothing to do with being a sunfire elf. 

The trouble was she had confusing thoughts about this particular human. It wasn’t often that Janai fought someone who could keep up with her. And there was something about her confident smirk, her cocky raised eyebrow, and that infuriating crook of her finger, inviting Janai to fight. It wrong-footed her. After their first interactions Janai had let her thoughts rest on the human general too much. To analyze her technique and visualize how to get by her defenses of course. Somehow these internal strategy sessions always ended with one of them pinned against the ground or a wall. With them sharing breath and pressed against each other. When Janai had noticed the theme of her thoughts she had resolved not to think of the human at all. But there had been one time that she had sparred with the woman in a dream. Her subconscious did not seem to be aware of her self-imposed boundaries because that time when the human held her against a wall there was nothing to stop her sliding a hand slowly down Janai’s stomach and under the waistband of her pants. The fiery expression the general wore when she fought did not soften. Janai had woken up with hot skin, too turned on to stop her own hand from moving down to finish herself off. 

The tip of the general’s tongue wet her lips and she finally met Janai’s eyes. She had dark eyes with long lashes, and her face was flushed red and just a little sweaty. Janai was strangely frozen. _Just turn up the heat_ , she told herself, _she’ll drop the sword and you can take her back as a prisoner_. But she didn’t move. The air was thick between them. One side of the woman’s mouth came up in the barest impression of a smile and she wet her lips again, just a little slower. Janai’s eyes skipped down to her mouth involuntarily and a split second later the human was kissing her, hard and insistent. She was so shocked it took her a few moments to respond at all. “ The fuck are you doing?” Janai snapped, pulling away as far as she could without letting the woman up. 

The human shrugged with an insolent smirk on her face, then let her eyes trail suggestively over Janai, lingering on her lips on the way back up. 

She quirked an eyebrow questioningly as if to say ‘why not?’ 

Janai was sure there were hundreds of reasons why not, but somehow she couldn’t think of any of them just now with this humans knee dragging slowly up the inside of her thigh, and her hot gaze on her face. The human strained up to kiss Janai again and this time she kissed back, her lips parting slightly at the touch of the general’s tongue. The human’s lips were cool against Janai’s superheated ones. She kissed strong and slow and Janai’s thoughts were scattering. The knowledge of what they were supposed to be doing became foggy and indistinct. The hand holding the wrist of the human’s empty hand slid down her arm to her shoulder to prop herself up more easily. The general used her new freedom to wrap that arm around Janai’s back and pull her closer. The world narrowed to this spot, all intelligent thoughts in her head slipped away. All she wanted was to be closer, to have more. She was suspended in this wild, nonsensical moment where this insane thing could happen. The human bit Janai’s lip and she gasped.

The gasp became a yelp as she was flipped off the human and thrown hard to the ground. A little winded and a lot disoriented she clung to the human’s wrist, twisting the point of the sword away from herself. But the sword was gone. The general had switched it to her free hand as she rolled up onto one knee and flung it at the explosives. 

A ball of fire blossomed from the spot where the sword hit and a split second later the sound ripped through her. 

Her ears ringing and bright white spots popping in front of her eyes, it took her longer than it should’ve to notice the ground beneath her collapsing. She threw herself towards solid ground, catching the ledge with just her fingertips. She scrambled for a better hold, her senses still in overdrive and her mind reeling from the events of the last minute. 

A dark figure appeared above her, silhouetted against the continued smaller explosions. The general. She expected her to step on her fingers, to push her, but instead she bent down and gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her up and back onto solid ground. Janai straightened up quickly and dropped into a defensive stance, but the human did not. She followed her gaze to the cascade of lava that used to be her way back to her troops. The fight was over. The human had won. She looked back at Janai, triumphant. She smiled, her lips red from the kiss. Janai’s soldiers finally arrived and the human did not resist as she was arrested and led away.

Janai watched her receding figure, angry and flustered. She stormed after the others, trying to wipe the memory of the human’s mouth from her mind. 

X

“I don’t understand you!” Janai growled, storming up to where the human was tied to a tree in their camp.

The human did not react. Her eyes were closed, but she sat stiffly. She wasn’t asleep. Janai noticed how much slimmer she was without her armour. Her shoulders were still broad, but her build was mainly lithe, compact muscle. Janai nudged her boot with her foot and her eyes opened immediately. Definitely wasn’t asleep then. She lifted her chin and regarded Janai with her normal confidence, but now Janai could detect a touch of wariness underneath. 

“I don’t understand you, human!” Janai repeated. “Why did you save my life?” 

The human rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at her bound hands. Janai had thought of this. Had been planning this conversation since the woman had been taken into custody two days before. She pulled out paper and a thin piece of charcoal and set them down. The woman nodded once. Janai knelt and checked the ropes around her ankles, then set about re-tying her wrists so that her right was free and her left still fastened around the tree. Once she was satisfied she passed her the writing supplies. The woman looked amused at the whole production, but accepted the paper anyway. 

“Alright. Why?” 

The general considered her with narrowed eyes before bending to write two words, ‘soldier’s honour.’

Janai scoffed. “You won’t kill an opponent when they’re down?”

She shook her head, looking a little offended. 

“Yet you were perfectly happy to fight dirty less than a minute before you saved me?” Janai avoided describing exactly what had actually happened. 

A predatory grin spread across the human’s face. She held Janai’s gaze for several moments before bending to write again, ‘don’t blame me. You’re the one who got distracted.’ 

Janai could feel her face heating but she pressed on “I- that was not the act of an ‘honourable soldier!’ That was cheating. I don’t understand your code.”

Her prisoner looked like she was properly enjoying this conversation now, which irritated Janai still further. ‘You fought dirty first,’ she wrote. 

Janai opened and closed her mouth. She supposed the human was right. Throwing sand in an opponent’s eyes wasn’t very sporting. “That wasn’t- that was different,” she protested. She was starting to think she shouldn’t have come. Should have taken more time to cool off after their fight, waited until they arrived in Lux Aurea and she could find an interpreter. “How did you even think of that? Such a strange way to distract your opponent.”

The human smiled wider as she wrote, ‘how do you know I didn’t just want to kiss you?’

They stared each other down for a moment before Janai remembered her other question, “why did you come to destroy the breach yourself? You’re the general. Why would you go on a suicide mission?”

The woman wrote for a moment. ‘Would _you_ have sent another soldier?’

Janai surveyed her for a moment and then crouched beside her, taking the paper from her and retying her wrist. The human watched her, looking interested and a little amused. Janai felt itchy and uncomfortable under her gaze. 

Satisfied that the human was restrained, she stood up and walked away briskly, feeling the general’s eyes on her back. That had been embarrassing. She hadn’t gotten any satisfying answers. It seemed the human adhered to a moral code. Janai had hoped she would be bloodthirsty and rude. Instead she had been morally sound and charmingly teasing.

She must be lying. Humans were violent liars. They sent their general as some kind of spy. Noble sacrifice her ass. 

It was only when she got back to her tent that she realized she hadn’t asked anything about the war or the humans’ military movements. She had been too distracted with her need to understand the general’s personal motivations. She sighed. That couldn’t happen again. She resolved not to speak to the prisoner until they arrived in the capital the next day and she could find an interpreter, at least then there would be another person present. Hopefully Janai would stay on topic.

X

Janai walked into the human’s cell, the flames activating her heat form. “Welcome to Lux Aurea, human.” The general was kneeling, wrists bound behind her, head bowed. Catching sight of Janai’s legs, she looked up, her expression defiant. Janai had a crazy moment where she felt put out that the human had missed her dramatic entrance. She shook it away. 

Kazi followed Janai into the ring by creating a gap in the flames to walk through. Janai felt bolstered by their presence. Even if Kazi was just there to translate, Janai felt more confident about keeping the interrogation on track with a witness. 

Janai walked around behind the human, and she whipped around to keep Janai in view, looking wary. “I’m going to uncuff you now, so you can speak. Don’t do anything stupid.” The human rubbed her wrists, still watching Janai as she moved to stand in front of her. 

“What were your human soldiers doing on the Xadian side of the border? What are the humans planning?” The general looked away, pursing her lips. 

Janai sighed, frustrated, “I’m losing my patience!” She crouched down in front of the human, getting into her space, “say something!”

A tiny smile appeared on the human’s face as she finally responded, moving her hands rather violently. When she finished she crossed her arms and looked pointedly away. 

“Um, oh my,” Kazi said nervously. 

Janai turned back to Kazi. “Well? What did she say?”

Haltingly and with great reluctance they explained,” If my interpretation is correct-and it is- she suggested an unusual way in which your body might accommodate your sword.” 

Janai turned back to see the human still looking away, smiling slightly. Janai grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at her, “I suppose you think that’s funny?” 

The human nodded, eyes slightly narrowed and a challenging smile on her face. 

“That’s a common sign for yes,” Kazi added unhelpfully. 

“We’ll see if you have the same attitude with our queen.” The general’s smile dropped as Janai grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her up to standing. 

She retrieved the cuffs off her belt that she had just taken off the prisoner. The general lifted one eyebrow and signed something. Kazi didn’t translate. Janai looked around to find them looking uncomfortable. “What did she say?”

“Uh nothing! Really it was just a stupid joke.” Kazi looked like they’d rather be somewhere else. 

Janai glanced back at the human who was watching their conversation with amusement, then back at Kazi, her expression expectant. 

“She um, she says you’re kinky,” Kazi mumbled awkwardly. 

Janai fumbled the cuffs she was holding and almost dropped them. The general looked delighted. Pulling herself together, she stepped forward to restrain her, valiantly trying to ignore her wink and the way she was leering at Janai. 

X

The general had wound Janai up so thoroughly that she had forgotten that the queen was in fact a very busy person and could not be dropped in on whenever you wanted (not even by her sister). So now Janai was in the somewhat foolish position of having dragged the human hurriedly through the palace, only to wait outside the throne room for twenty minutes while her sister finished her meeting. The situation was made more awkward by the way the human kept surreptitiously sliding in closer to Janai, letting her back or side brush against Janai, her head turning to see her reaction. 

The first time had seemed like an accident. The human had stretched her shoulders and Janai’s grip on her upper arm had tugged her a little off balance so that she pressed ever so briefly against Janai’s side before righting herself. Janai was glad the human couldn’t hear her breath catch. It could conceivably have been an accident, though Janai was suspicious of the human spontaneously losing her balance because she knew first hand exactly how fucking hard she was to knock down. 

The two times after that were definitely on purpose. The human’s expression was perfectly blank but her eyes were sparkling with laughter when she turned to Janai to offer her an apologetic nod after the third time she somehow lost her footing. On a perfectly flat floor. While standing still. Janai gave her what she hoped was an unimpressed look, but she thought was probably a little more flustered than she would have liked. 

Janai held the human firmly at arms-length until they were let into the throne room a few minutes later. Her face still felt hot and the general’s scent clung to the back of her throat. She glanced over at her out of the corner of her eye as they walked. The human looked immensely satisfied with herself. 

Annoyed, Janai flung the human to her knees in front of her sister harder than she normally would have. “Your Radiance,” she bowed, fingers splayed. “We captured this human general at the border, but she refuses to cooperate with my interrogation. “

The queen approached them. Pressing her scepter under the human’s chin, she forced her to look up. For a moment they regarded each other, the queen disdainful, the prisoner defiant. then the human twisted her chin away from the queen’s scepter and spat at her. Janai drew back a little in surprise. This was bad. Khessa was not a forgiving queen. 

The queen looked at her for another moment. “Dispose of her!” She snapped finally, turning to return to her throne. This was not the outcome Janai was looking for. But really what had she been expecting? She knew her sister had a short fuse and loathed all humans. She should’ve predicted this.

“If she’s not useful, get rid of her. She’s worthless.” The queen spoke calmly and apathetically, as though she was ordering a cup of tea. 

“She’s not worthless! This may be a human, but she fought bravely, and she treated me, her enemy, with warriors honour.” Janai caught herself using nearly the same phrase the human had used to describe her actions at the breach. “Should we not do the same?”

“Oh, my sweet little sister,” Khessa teased patronizingly, as if Janai was still a petulant eight year old. “if you truly believe this one is so special,” she poured sarcasm into the last word, “we’ll let the light decide her fate!”

The guard holding the light staff slammed it once against the ground. Janai flinched. The guard approached the prisoner, still kneeling, hands bound in front of Janai. She glanced back at Janai, real fear mixed with confusion on her face, then she turned back to the staff, brow furrowing in determination. Worry twisted Janai’s gut, but there was nothing to be done. 

The light began to grow. The human dropped her chin, closing her eyes and trying to hide her face. “No,” Janai said, “you have to look.” But of course she couldn’t see her. 

She hurried forward and grabbed the general’s shoulders. She turned towards Janai and opened her eyes, looking terrified. Her eyes found Janai’s mouth as she repeated herself, “you have to look! If you want to live you have to look into the light.” Her resolve seemed to strengthen. She turned back to the light and glared it down. Janai backed away again. All she could do now is watch. The light became so bright that Janai turned away slightly, covering her eyes, squinting back at the general’s immovable figure, black against the onslaught of painful light. The room was ringing with it, Janai’s very bones seemed to vibrate. 

And then almost all at once it receded, flowing back into the staff. The human collapsed forward, forehead close to the ground, gasping for breath, tears streaming from her eyes. 

“Hmm,” The queen said after a moment,” a human with a pure heart. How original.” She scoffed dramatically and waved them from the room with a dismissive wave, “just take her.”

Janai rushed forward and pulled the human to her feet, arms around her waist. She regained her footing quickly given the circumstances and Janai led her towards the door, holding her upper arms. “Thank you, sister,” she said, though privately she was furious. 

“Enjoy your pet,” Khessa called after her and Janai’s face burned at the implication. 

She ushered her prisoner from the room, Khessa’s last jibe echoing in her ears. 

The light had left the general shaking uncontrollably, tears still rolling down her face. Janai wanted to reassure her that her sight would return but of course there was no obvious way to communicate with someone who couldn’t see or hear. She gripped her shoulders and pulled her gently but firmly towards the infirmary. 

A doctor directed her to a bed and she sat the human on it. The doctor tried to lay her down but she shook him off, still trembling. Janai placed gentle hands on her shoulders. The human turned her face approximately towards Janai, a crease between her brows. She lifted her hands -both, as they were cuffed together- and found Janai’s face, cupping her cheek. Her thumb grazed Janai’s lip as her hands moved to her hair and up to the crown on her head. Apparently convinced of Janai’s identity, she dropped her hands and relaxed somewhat, though the worried look on her face did not entirely fade. Janai squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and then nudged her down to the bed. 

Janai took her hands and uncuffed them. At the doctors pointed look she reluctantly went to the foot of the bed and fastened her ankle to a chain attached to the ground. The doctor had made sure to put the general in a bed outfitted for prisoners. 

The doctor was looking at her confused and maybe a little disapproving of her treatment of the human. She turned her most imperious look on him to remind him he was dealing with the sister of the queen and leader of her armies. Looking sufficiently abashed he busied himself with his potions. She looked back to the woman on the bed. The doctor was right of course. She shouldn’t be showing this kind of care for a human. Also, the human should not be so obviously soothed by her presence. 

“I need to put this in her eyes,” the doctor said briskly, “should we restrain her?”

“No!” Janai said sharply, then calming herself quickly she continued, “no that shouldn’t be necessary. Give me a moment.” The human’s face was still turned towards where she obviously guessed Janai was, eyes closed. Janai put her hands back on the general’s shoulders, squeezing reassuringly, then moved one hand up to her cheek. The human inhaled quickly. _Out of fear for your hands so close to her sore eyes_ , Janai told herself firmly, _not because you’re touching her. Don’t be ridiculous._

Gently as she could she tapped on one of the human’s eyelids and after a moment she blinked them open, brow furrowed. Janai stroked her cheek gently as she said aloud “alright go ahead.” The doctor moved a little closer and dropped a pale blue liquid into the human’s right eye. She winced, but Janai gripped her shoulder tighter and her thumb moved up and down on her cheek. The human relaxed a little and let the doctor do her other eye. Patting her shoulder, she let her hand drop from the general’s face. The doctor packed up his potions and, giving them a vaguely disgusted look, he left. Janai glared after him for a moment before returning her attention to her prisoner. 

She had started signing frantically as soon as Janai had let go of her cheek, indicating the end of the treatment. Janai noticed her gesturing to her eyes repeatedly. She guessed that she was repeating the same question ‘will my sight return?’ 

Not knowing how to answer her, not even sure if she got the question right, Janai felt a hint of panic setting in. She needed Kazi, but she didn’t want the human to be afraid of permanent blindness for the long minutes it would take for someone to go find them. She took the humans hands and held them still, hoping she had communicated that she couldn’t understand and not that she’d just rudely told the woman to shut up. 

An idea finally coming to her she touched just under the human’s eyes and then took her hand and placed it over her own smiling mouth. It was a clumsy way of communicating what she needed to but it seemed to work as the woman relaxed a bit. She traced Janai’s lips with her fingertips. _Reassuring herself that it’s good news of course! Not because she wants to_ , Janai told herself. Also, why do you want her to touch your face? She’s a nasty evil human. The words weren’t all that convincing even inside her own head. 

Finally, the general dropped her hand to the bed, searching for something. Janai covered her hand with her own and the human turned hers over to hold it, relaxing fully back into the bed. 

They sat for almost an hour. The human’s face turned towards Janai, her eyes sometimes closed, sometimes open but staring blankly past Janai. Trying to keep her eyes from the generals face with limited success, Janai spent the time in a stressful and vitriolic internal battle. 

Because she couldn’t be attracted to a human. That would be weak and disgusting and traitorous. Janai was not weak and she certainly wasn’t a traitor. 

Her eyes were pulled magnetically back to the human in question. She was breathing slow and deep, too long and even to be natural. Janai’s finger found her pulse on the inside of her wrist and sure enough her heart rate was fast. She was trying to calm herself down. Janai supposed the human was brave. Patiently waiting for her sight to return, deaf, blind, and a prisoner of her worst enemies. Many soldiers would be thrashing wildly under the same circumstances. The human was honourable too. She had saved Janai’s life when she definitely could have let her fall. 

Janai normally didn’t have time to look at the human because they were always fighting, either physically or conversationally. But now she could look. She was cute, with her wide dark eyes and small nose and mouth. That mouth that so often curved in that infuriating, taunting smile during fights or more recently when she refused to answer questions during interrogations. That mouth that had kissed Janai so thoroughly that she let her guard down. 

Janai noticed that the human’s eyes had focused on her face. She jumped. Her gaze wasn’t bleary like it would be if she was just beginning to regain her sight. Her eyes were sharp and focused. Eyes that had just caught Janai staring at her lips. She smirked up at Janai her chin lifting jauntily, as if she knew exactly what that smile did to Janai. 

Janai’s brain caught up. The general must have been regaining her sight for at least the last 10 minutes, but had kept her eyes unfocused to take in her surroundings unnoticed and not alert her captors that she could see until her sight had fully returned. Ten minutes of her laughing at Janai staring at her. She could feel her face heating up. 

The general’s smile had softened to something less confident, less challenging. Now it was almost..soft? That couldn’t be right. Janai stared down at her not sure what to do now. “I’m sorry for my sister” at the look of confusion on her prisoners face she clarified “the queen.” The human’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes wide. Janai continued “I’m sorry I brought you to her. I would never have done it if I thought she would be so cruel. Taking your sight when that’s how you communicate...” she trailed off. 

The woman studied her for a moment, then pulled her hand away from Janai’s ( _why were they still holding hands?_ ) and mimed writing on something. “Oh, I can get the interpreter if you want.” She stood up to send someone for Kazi, but the human caught her wrist. She shook her head and mimed writing again. Wondering nervously why the human wanted a private discussion, she nevertheless nodded and went to ask a passing doctor for paper and a quill. She handed her a single sheet of paper and a magically bottomless ink quill and hurried away. 

Returning to the bed she handed them to the general who leaned over to the bedside table to write. She handed her the paper. It read: ‘thank you for staying with me. It comforted me.’

“Why?”

She wrote again: ‘I don’t know. I trust you for some reason.’

“You trust me? But we’re on opposite sides! You’re not supposed to...” she trailed off, feeling out of her depth. 

‘Maybe it’s not trust. Maybe I just like you. You are pretty cute.’ When Janai looked up from this note, face hot, she saw the human looking pleased with herself again, a smile curving her lips. 

Scrambling for a way to bring the conversation back to safe territory, she stuttered out the first thing she thought of, “what’s your name?” 

So maybe it wasn’t totally random. She’d been curious about the human’s name since their first fight. Not many warriors could move like that. 

The human held her gaze for a moment as she took the paper back, as though not willing to let the previous topic go just yet. She passed the paper back a moment later with a single word on it: ‘Amaya.’

“Amaya,” Janai said, testing it out. The human- Amaya- smiled wider than before. Her eyes on Janai’s lips. Why was Janai always noticing this? Of course her eyes were on her lips so she could understand her. 

Amaya gestured to Janai. She took the paper and spelled her name on it. Amaya read it, still smiling. Then underlined the J and made a sign, then the A, and so on until she had spelled her name. Janai was a little mesmerized. Amaya then signed the J again, she looked like she was thinking. She signed it a third time but this time it was a little different. Smiling again, she repeated it one more time a little quicker, then picked up the paper and wrote: ‘that’s what I’ll call you. Ok?’ Janai smiled and nodded. 

She tried to copy the motion and Amaya pushed herself to the edge of the bed to take her hands and correct them. She practiced until Amaya was satisfied and then learned how to sign ‘Amaya.’ She was about to ask to learn some basic phrases or maybe the alphabet, but when she took her eyes off their hands and met Amaya’s she noticed how close they were siting, both had been leaning towards each other as they signed and Amaya corrected her. They didn’t move for a moment, looking at each other. Amaya’s fond smile faded a little as she considered Janai. She leaned towards her an almost unnoticeable fraction, and something electric crackled between them. Janai didn’t move. She wanted Amaya to kiss her again, could see it coming, the anticipation twisting in her stomach. 

And then she stood up abruptly, breaking the spell. She took a step away but Amaya caught her wrist for a second time. She held up the paper, a hard look on her face. Janai considered turning to leave. Amaya’s ankle was shackled to the ground so she couldn’t follow and Janai didn’t owe the human her time or attention. She was her prisoner. She shook Amaya’s hand off roughly, but didn’t walk away. 

Amaya wrote for a moment and handed her the paper. ‘So you’re going to pretend there’s nothing going on here? Like I’m just your prisoner?’

“You _are_ my prisoner, human.” The last word came out a little more aggressively than she’d intended. She sighed. “Sorry. But you are a human, and I’m an elf. We can’t be... friends.”

Amaya’s expression was still hard as she turned back to her paper. ‘I don’t want to be your “friend.”’ 

Janai glanced at the paper, then shook her head and strode out of the ward, her thoughts churning. She felt aggressive and jittery. 

She had somewhat successfully kept herself in denial about her attraction to the human up until this point, even with her steamy sparring fantasies and one actual sex dream about her. She was good at pushing her feelings away. But she couldn’t pretend she wasn’t attracted to Amaya anymore. Brave, smart, funny, _hot_ Amaya. Amaya with her cute smile, kind eyes and solid moral code. Amaya who had kissed her, who flirted with her constantly. 

Janai was rudely pulled from thoughts of Amaya’s hotness by the guard from outside the hospital ward catching up with her. “Uh golden knight maam- commander ah sorry.” He must be new or he wouldn’t have stopped her when she had her mad face on. He shrunk a little under her stare. She raised an eyebrow expectantly. Clearing his throat and standing a little taller he continued, “should I take the human back to its cell?” 

She narrowed her eyes at the way he said ‘human’ and his use of the word ‘it’. “No,” she said shortly, “I’ll take her back. You’re dismissed.” He looked a little confused but at the look on her face he hurried away. 

She sighed. She really didn’t want that guard anywhere near Amaya. But now she had to go back in there. Shit. 

‘You shouldn’t care’ she told herself, ‘What does it matter to you if a guard roughs her up a bit? she’s hit you loads of times. Like the time she kissed you as a distraction and then threw you off a cliff?’ A more rational part of her brain told her that that wasn’t fair. Amaya hadn’t thrown her off a cliff. She’d actually saved Janai from falling when the ledge had collapsed. And anyway, harming your enemies on a battlefield was different than harming a defenceless prisoner. 

Debating the ethical semantics of the situation wasn’t changing the fact that she had to go back in and get Amaya. She took a deep breath and headed back towards the hospital door. 

Amaya sat straighter when she noticed Janai walking towards her. Refusing to meet her eyes, Janai pulled a set of cuffs from her belt. The same ones she’d removed from Amaya’s wrists when they’d arrived at the ward. 

Amaya tried to catch her eye for several long, tense moments, before offering her wrists. Janai cuffed her, chancing a glance at her face. She was carefully expressionless. 

Janai bent to free Amaya’s ankle, then straightened and took Amaya’s upper arm and held her a little in front as they walked out of the hospital. She was careful to touch her as little as possible all the way back to her cell. 

It was just physical attraction, she told herself. She could handle this. She had to handle this. 

X

The next day Janai sent Kazi back to interrogate Amaya alone, but they returned a while later to report that the human was refusing to answer any questions until Janai was present.

“What? Why?”

“She wouldn’t say. I figured you two must have had a conversation in the hospital yesterday. I mean she knew your name so you must have had a bit of a conversation. Maybe she just felt like you two were connecting or something?” Kazi’s babbling trailed off at the look on Janai’s face.

“We did not “connect” about anything! What are you implying?”

“Nothing! Sorry I didn’t mean to- sorry,” Kazi stuttered, looking intimidated. Janai felt guilty at once.

“Alright, well, good,” she said lamely. “Keep trying with the human.” But Janai knew Amaya wouldn’t budge.

X

Janai stayed away from Amaya for three days. Three frustrating days. There wasn’t much to do in Lux Aurea. She ran drills with her army, keeping them battle-ready. Khessa wanted them in the capitol as extra security, but Janai was already stir crazy. She liked being outside, sleeping on the ground, hunting for food, and doing patrols. The city was clean, boring, and full of polite, well-dressed airheads. All the courtly dinners and miserable small talk were reminding her of her years as Khessa’s half wild baby sister, scandalizing ambassadors and noblemen with her lack of refinement. She had been so relieved to leave that life when she joined the army and now she was back. She could really use a win, something to make her feel useful. Getting information from Amaya would qualify. Also, it irked her that Amaya could throw Janai off balance so easily. She wanted to beat Amaya at her stupid, teasing games.

She waited until the evening when Kazi had finished their interrogation. When she got to the top of the stairs she could see Amaya below in her cell, doing pushups quickly and effortlessly. Janai descended the stairs and entered the cell, still not totally sure what she was going to say.

Amaya looked up. She looked satisfied at the sight of Janai. She dropped her knees to the ground and sat back on her ankles, watching Janai with interest. She was flushed and sweaty, her hair sticking to her cheek, and she was wearing a dark blue sleeveless under shirt. Janai couldn’t help but notice her muscled arms and shoulders. It took Janai a moment longer than it should have to remember that, as the interrogator, it was her job to direct the conversation. “Kazi said you would only speak to me?” Amaya nodded once. Janai pulled out writing supplies and handed them to her.

Pulling herself together Janai began, “Do the humans plan to invade Xadia?”

Amaya shrugged unconcernedly.

“Where will your troops go now that the breach is destroyed?”

Nothing.

“Who will be their general in your absence?”

Finally, Amaya seemed to be thinking about her question. She wrote for a moment. When she finished she left the paper on the ground, turning it around to face janai instead of handing it up to her. Janai was forced to sit facing her prisoner in order to read her words. ‘I don’t know,’ she had written.

“What do you mean you don’t know? You don’t know how generals are chosen in your own army? How did _you_ become a general?”

‘By being the best,’ Amaya wrote, an exaggeratedly egotistical look on her face.

“How do you know you’re the best?” Janai was vaguely aware of the conversation getting off track, but at least Amaya was answering now. Maybe she would let something slip.

‘I duel all my soldiers once a year’

“Is that how officers keep their rank in the Katolian army? If someone were to beat you would they become the general?”

Amaya laughed. ‘No. They just do it as a birthday present to me. None of them have ever landed a hit on me. Because I’m the best.’

“Still got yourself captured though,” Janai teased, trying to cover up how impressed she actually was.

Amaya raised one eyebrow and bent to write, ‘I never intended to return from destroying the breach. I completed my mission. Can’t say the same for you.’

Janai could feel a knot of shame twisting into anger in her gut, “it wasn’t a fair fight!” Even a week later she was unwilling to name exactly what had made it an unfair fight. She had tried so hard to cleanse the memory of that kiss from her mind. 

Amaya smiled, but it was sharp and dangerous. She regarded Janai for several long seconds before standing. She walked a few paces away and turned back, dropping into a defensive stance, one hand extended towards Janai, palm up. She crooked her fingers, still smiling challengingly. Something hot curled in Janai’s stomach. Something very different than anger. 

Pushing away her confusing feelings, Janai laughed, “you want a rematch?”

Amaya nodded, not moving. 

“Why would I do that? How do I know you’re not trying to escape?”

Amaya rolled her eyes and glanced around at the wall of fire. She made an excellent point. Janai considered her. Finally, she stood. She moved unhurriedly, enjoying the suspense, the air thick between them. Not taking her eyes off Amaya, she unfastened her cloak and threw it towards the edge of the ring (if they were going to fight hand to hand, she didn’t want Amaya to have anything extra to grab, especially with Amaya armour-less and agile). Amaya’s eyes darkened as she watched Janai, flicking down over Janai’s body, her smile growing just a little. 

Janai settled into a solid stance as well, extending a hand towards Amaya and beckoning her to attack in return. Amaya grinned and obliged, darting towards her.

Janai dodged Amaya’s first swing at the left side of her face, but it distracted her so that Amaya’s other fist could connect with her stomach, pushing her back a little. Even with her core muscles engaged it fucking hurt. Janai didn’t have time to feel it though. They traded blows almost faster than Janai could follow. Janai fainted to the right and Amaya fell for it. Janai landed a punch on Amaya’s left cheekbone and she reeled back, her footing imperfect. Janai kicked her hard in the chest and she staggered away a few paces before regaining her footing.

Janai leapt forward, but Amaya dropped low, catching Janai’s legs and letting her momentum help as she hurled her down. Janai hit the ground hard and rolled, ending up halfway out of the fire ring, the flames licking warmly at her face and torso. She stood up and turned back towards Amaya, her heat form still glowing under her skin. Far from looking scared, Amaya gave her one of her now-familiar slow looks, down and back up. She actually bit her bottom lip a little as her eyes slid unabashedly over Janai. She was shameless. 

Even though she was kind of enjoying Amaya’s interest, Janai knew it wouldn’t be fair to fight heated up. She took a deep breath and let the heat dissipate from her skin. Then she flew back at Amaya. 

Fighting Amaya was exhilarating and all consuming. Janai’s thoughts did not stray once from Amaya’s movements until they stopped a good while later, both breathing hard and grinning at each other. There had been no definitive winner. Each had won short sets, but neither could consistently subdue the other.

“That was fun,” Janai admitted. Amaya nodded in agreement. They looked at each other for another moment. “Well. Goodnight,” Janai broke the silence a little awkwardly. Her voice sounded stilted and strange. Amaya nodded again, a slight smile still on her face.

Janai turned and walked out of the cell and up the stairs, her muscles pleasantly sore.

X

Janai returned two nights later to spar with Amaya. It was fairly late this time, around the hour most sunfire elves started to settle down for sleep. Sunfires became sleepy as soon as the sun went down, but Janai knew other beings weren’t all so early to bed and early to rise. There was a good chance Amaya was up. Janai felt wide awake, her mind full of the war, the world on fire, and her sister’s penchant for playing it safe, for not engaging.

She needed to move, to train. If she was physically exhausted she might sleep. 

The human was awake when she entered the building, sitting cross-legged. She caught sight of Janai at the top of the stairs and watched her descend, until she was behind the wall of flame. Janai felt wrong footed at being observed, but shook it away. She entered the cell to find Amaya standing, looking curious. 

There was a beat of silence, Amaya looked at her, her eyes slightly narrowed, no doubt confused as to why Janai would visit so late. Janai decided to get to the point. “Do you want to spar?”

Amaya regarded her for a moment, her expression unreadable, then she nodded once, the ghost of a smile on her lips. Janai removed her cloak, stepping closer to the middle of the ring and without warning, Amaya attacked. 

This time each bout was longer. They were both getting better at predicting each other’s movements, both getting harder to fool.

After an hour they agreed to stop. Janai collected her cloak and nodded to Amaya, “thank you,” she said, surprising herself. Amaya nodded, her gaze steady. Janai left. A real, bone deep tiredness was seeping into her. When she fell into bed she slept almost instantly, despite a feeling of guilt that she hadn’t asked Amaya a single question.

X

The very next evening found Janai sparring with Amaya. She had spent much of the day thinking about the situation and had come up with a tenuous excuse for her actions. The idea was that maybe if they spent enough time together (without Janai asking hard questions) Amaya might let her guard down. Kazi was still interrogating Amaya during the day, so maybe she would relax outside of the formal interrogations.

She had not gotten any useful information from the first two sparring sessions. She hadn’t even asked any questions the second time. But there was a chance, she stubbornly maintained, that with enough time, Amaya might get sloppy.

But Janai knew she wouldn’t. Amaya was a very good soldier. An exceptional one. The truth was that Janai liked fighting Amaya. She loved being able to train without being concerned for her opponent’s wellbeing. She knew Amaya could handle whatever Janai threw at her.Also, after the first two times they had sparred she had fallen asleep more easily and slept more soundly than she had in ages.

Today they were both in top form, fighting close and fast, neither able to get the upper hand consistently. 

They fought for what felt like a long time, neither able to win more than a short volley; they were so evenly matched. Finally, both of them tired, Janai spoke, “one more round?” Amaya nodded. 

It was a close one. Each of them coming incredibly close to falling before recovering spectacularly. Ultimately Amaya faked a stumble and when Janai rushed in to bring her down she stepped to the side and shoulder checked Janai to the ground. Janai was faster and taller, but Amaya was definitely stronger.

Amaya offered her a hand to help her up and Janai took it, grinning. Her grip was strong and her five-fingered hand felt strange in Janai’s. Amaya seemed to think the same about Janai’s four fingers because she didn’t let go once Janai was standing. Instead she took Janai’s hand in both of hers and examined it. “You’ve seen elf hands before,” Janai pointed out. 

Amaya dropped her hand to sign something, then seemed to remember Janai couldn’t understand and shrugged looking frustrated. Janai’s hand felt cold without Amaya’s on it. 

“Will you teach me sign language?” Janai hadn’t meant to ask, but found she didn’t want to take the question back.

Amaya looked surprised, then almost suspicious, her eyes narrowing just a little. 

Janai rushed to explain herself, “I like learning new things and I’ve never seen a language that isn’t verbal so I’m curious and it would make communicating with you easier if we didn’t need to use paper,” with an effort she cut off her rambling. Amaya had a small smile on her face. She nodded. 

Gratefully breaking eye contact, Janai went to her discarded cloak to get paper. They settled themselves cross legged on the ground, facing each other. 

Janai handed Amaya the paper and quill. She accepted them, but placed them on the ground beside her. She pointed at Janai’s mouth and gestured her to speak. 

“What? You don’t want to use the paper? Then how will you define words for-“ Amaya was signing along with Janai’s words. Janai nodded slowly, “you want me to talk and you’ll show me the signs for what I’m saying?”

Amaya finished translating her sentence and nodded. 

Speaking more slowly now, her eyes on Amaya’s hands, “you don’t like writing?”

Amaya copied Janai’s sentence, and then responded by shrugging while making a face and shaking her head. 

“Ok. Ok good plan.” She watched Amaya’s hands and then copied her. Repeating a few times until she could remember it. 

Mind suddenly empty of things she might want to know how to sign, she looked at Amaya for a moment. Amaya looked patiently back. 

She tried to remember how she had started learning other languages she could speak. Verbs. Verbs were useful. 

“Ok how do you say the verb for ‘sign’?”

Amaya showed her and she practiced this too. 

“And ‘walk’?”

They continued this way, Janai asking and then practicing and moving on. After she had a handful of words Amaya would stop her and sign ‘repeat’ and Janai would run through what she knew, signing and speaking. Sometimes Amaya would write a word, but for the most part Janai directed the lesson with her questions. It was slow going, but Janai had always liked languages and generally picked up the basics quickly.

Amaya’s hands moved so deftly where Janai’s stuttered and fidgeted. Amaya had nice hands, Janai kept noticing. There were a few scars scattered over them, and she had long fingers with short, tidy nails. Even her fifth finger didn’t look so strange to Janai now.

A while later Janai started to mix up words she’d learned at the beginning of the lesson, making silly mistakes, so Amaya declared the lesson over for the night. She was right. Janai could only learn so much in one sitting. 

Janai signed ‘thank you’ and stood up. Amaya was writing something so Janai waited. Amaya folded it and, standing up, she tucked it into Janai’s pocket. They were standing very close together. Janai stepped back, “goodnight.”

Amaya signed ‘goodnight’ in return and Janai paused to learn the new word, before nodding to Amaya and walking through the fire and up the stairs. She glanced back at the top to see Amaya seated again, her chin down and eyes closed. She looked very small in the center of the cell. Janai felt a pang that she had to leave her there, alone and bored. No. Amaya was a war prisoner. A human. She needed to get herself under control. 

She left the building and stepped out into bright moonlight, the cool night air pleasant on her face. She must have been with Amaya for hours, sparring and talking. She began the walk across the huge courtyard to her quarters, running through all she had learned. She already knew a smattering of verbs, a couple nouns, some pleasantries, and the incredibly useful ‘please sign slower.’ Her hands moved the whole way back to her room. 

She pulled the note Amaya had given her from her pocket. Her stomach fluttered when she remembered Amaya standing so close, reaching out to slip it into Janai’s pocket, the slightest brush of pressure against her hip, through her clothes. The note said ‘Thank you for wanting to learn. You’re a good student.’

X

Soon Janai was visiting Amaya almost every evening to spar and to practice sign language. Usually they would barely say a word until after they fought. Janai would simply enter and wait for Amaya to see her, then move into a defensive stance and raise a questioning eyebrow at her. Amaya had not yet refused. Each time she stood and matched Janai without argument. 

After they fought they sat and talked. Kazi was still technically conducting an interrogation so Janai kept their conversations friendly and non-military related, hoping Amaya would let her guard down and give her information. It hadn’t really worked. Amaya was careful to steer the conversation away from anything that might be strategically useful to Janai. Janai had gathered that Amaya had some standing in Katolian court, but not where that favour came from or just how influential of a person she had as a prisoner. Maybe just being a general got her some influence? Mostly Janai had learned about Amaya’s life, her rise through the ranks of the army, about her family (two nephews who sounded like a handful and a half each and a sister she was very close with), and lots of outrageous stories of battles and what can only be described as quests.

It annoyed Amaya to write a lot, so Janai talked too. About her sister, her parents, life in Lux Aurea. About not knowing exactly what her purpose was now that there was no breach to guard. 

They also continued Janai’s lessons. Amaya defined words for her throughout their conversations and they both signed whenever Janai’s vocabulary allowed it, but they also used writing to broaden what they could talk about. Then, towards the end of the evening they put down the paper and focused on Janai improving her signing. Her vocabulary was limited so they both ended up finger spelling frequently.

Their nightly ritual cleared Janai’s head and she found she could sleep more easily when she was tired from her visits to Amaya’s cell. The sparring made her body heavy with fatigue and the lessons wore out her mind so she could fall asleep safe from her usual circular thoughts. It felt good to be staying in shape instead of just sitting on her ass.

She was embarrassed of her dependence on visiting Amaya. She hoped no one knew exactly how much time she spent in her cell. She suspected that Khessa did. Sometimes when they dined together the queen would ask her pointedly how the interrogation was going, whether her human was _behaving_ , the tone of her voice both patronizing and suggestive. Janai ignored her and answered the question at face value. She said that she was hoping to lull the human into a false sense of security, and that in the mean time she was learning Katolian fighting styles.

Which was true. She was learning Katolian fighting styles. Or at least Amaya’s fighting style. What harm could come from knowing your enemy’s weaknesses? (Although Amaya didn’t seem to have many).

Neither of them brought up their conversation in the hospital ward, or the distracting tension between them. Janai was staunchly ignoring the situation and Amaya seemed content to follow her lead. But she hadn’t stopped flirting with Janai. She made no effort to hide her appreciative, lingering gaze on Janai’s figure, her strong arms, her mouth. 

Sometimes when they sparred Amaya pushed in closer than necessary, a fiery look on her face, challenging them both to fight with almost no space between them, trading lightning quick blows until one of them failed to predict the next move and lost. 

On one occasion Janai suspected Amaya of letting Janai win, allowing herself to be pinned so she could look up at Janai with a dare in her eyes and a smirk. Janai knew they were both thinking of the last time Janai had pinned Amaya. Amaya’s eyes dropped to Janai’s mouth and Janai scrambled off her quickly, offering a hand to pull her up. 

And then there were the sign language lessons. Amaya insisted on teaching Janai every dirty word she knew, laughing at Janai’s blushing. Janai wasn’t a prude, but talking about this stuff with Amaya was making her a little crazy. “Why the fuck would I ever need to know what that means?” 

Amaya shrugged. Then wrote for a second and handed the paper to Janai. ‘it’s useful stuff. You gotta know bad words in every language you use. Besides if you and I ever fuck I’ll want you to know what I’m saying.’ Janai dropped the paper, looking up at Amaya, eyes wide. 

“That’s not- I don’t know what- that’s not going to happen.”

Amaya shrugged again, looking delighted at Janai’s reaction. Then, taking pity on her, she moved the lesson onto something safer. 

That night Janai’s head was full of the idea of Amaya teaching her all those things in case they ever had sex. She didn’t fall asleep for a long time, thoughts of Amaya keeping her up. Amaya laid out on her sheets, signing dirty things that Janai could now understand, asking her for more, while Janai fucked her. 

X

The king of Katolis gave Janai a strange feeling. She could not help noticing all his differences from Amaya. His silver-tongued diplomacy, his bartering of information on her family, his thin, sickly appearance. Then the light had proven her right: he was a monster. Still, she wanted Amaya’s opinion on her king, as a Katolian citizen.

Kazi was with Amaya when she arrived. Amaya was sitting on the floor, leaning back on one hand. She looked quite relaxed.

“Bad news my human friend. Your king came seeking passage.”

“What? That’s impossible!” Amaya sat up straighter, leaning forward as she signed, her face confused and suspicious. It was strange to hear Amaya’s words from Kazi again after so many conversations without an interpreter.

“The light revealed his true nature. Tainted with darkness, rotten to the core. Such an arrogant man,” Janai explained.

Amaya appeared to be thinking for a moment and then she looked stricken. She stood and took a few steps closer to Janai, Kazi translating while she signed, “That man is no king. He may be the most dangerous human in the world!”

Janai felt a twinge of worry at Amaya’s urgent expression, but she pushed it away. “No matter, the queen sentenced him to be purified. After the ritual I doubt there’ll be anything left of him.” She turned to leave but Amaya caught her arm. Janai grabbed her wrist and threw it off, angry that Amaya would touch her with Kazi present.

Unfazed, Amaya stepped closer into Janai’s space, “You don’t understand! If he’s here everyone is in danger. We have to stop him!”

Against all her training and all she had ever been told about humans, Janai believed her. She trusted Amaya instinctually. She could be trying to escape and save her king from purification. Janai had brought her the information that the Katolian king was in Lux Aurea, and now she was going to her leave her cell. It was an objectively terrible decision, a treasonous decision, but looking into Amaya’s face, she couldn’t help but believe her.

She nodded. Amaya let out the breath she’d been holding, her face softening in relief. She gripped Janai’s shoulder and nodded. This time Janai didn’t shake her off.

She tried not to think about what the hell she was doing as she opened a gap in the flames for Kazi and Amaya to step through. Her personal, _human_ prisoner (who she had vouched for), stepping out of her cell, absolutely free to run, free to save her king from the ritual.

Janai took a deep breath. She couldn’t think like that. She needed to trust Amaya. She led the way to the armoury where Amaya geared up quickly. Janai had forgotten how good she looked in full armour. Amaya caught her looking and winked. Janai turned hurriedly away and headed for the door, gesturing the others to follow.

And then they were off at a run again, this time towards the already glowing tower. Janai stopped Kazi, leaving them to wait in relative safety. Janai and Amaya ran on, adrenalin spurring them on faster, but not fast enough. The light in the tower bled away, becoming a sickly, purplish black. A cloud of putrid darkness was dripping from the tower. A sick feeling fell into the bottom of Janai’s stomach. She ran faster, Amaya matching her.

But then two figures appeared right at the edge of the tower. One was tall and imposing, but ghostly white and unsubstantial. Despite his translucent appearance he had the other figure at his mercy, holding her over the edge, bending to speak in her ear. It was Khessa.

Janai had stopped running. She stared, uncomprehending. How could Khessa be up there, in danger, while Janai was down here, too far away to help. It didn’t make sense. The only reason she was still in Lux Aurea was to protect the crown, to protect her big sister.

And then Khessa fell, and as she fell she caught fire. She seemed to flutter like a piece of paper, flames eating away at her edges until she vanished.

Janai barely heard the scream she let out. She didn’t decide to start moving, but she was running again, fury and pain hot under her skin. She had to kill the tall, ghastly thing that had pushed her sister, had to kill it now. If it died Khessa would be alright, she had to be.

Someone tackled her from behind and she fell, a weight settling over her, holding her down. Amaya. She struggled and Amaya pinned one wrist to the ground and pulled the other under her knee, holding it against Janai’s back. Janai could smell smoke, but it hardly registered. There was space in her mind only for getting free, for killing her sister’s attacker. She continued to struggle but Amaya was unyielding, immovable. Janai glared at her, and she stared back, resolute. Then Amaya’s face softened, she looked sad and tired. She shook her head, her gaze imploring, and Janai could see the truth on her face. Khessa was gone. She was dead. And running up there to fight that ghost would only make Janai dead too.

All the fight went out of her, rage twisting into a horrible, aching grief. She screamed again, sobbing, reaching towards where Khessa had fallen.

A long while later, or maybe only a minute, Janai was pulled to her feet. Gentle hands guided her along, though crowds of people who all seemed to be looking at her. They walked for a while before Janai was pushed onto a sofa.

She finally paid attention to her surroundings. She was in her own living room. Amaya and Kazi were conversing in front of her. She didn’t try to understand their words. The shock of Khessa’s death had stupefied her; she had no curiosity for what they were saying. Much clearer than the room in front of her was the image of Khessa falling and vanishing, over and over before her eyes.

Eventually the room fell still. Mustering some energy, Janai spoke “tell the generals to prepare for a march. We leave at dawn.” Kazi bowed, and left. There were tear tracks on their face.

Amaya came closer and perched on the edge of the couch next to Janai. Tentatively, as though she thought Janai would throw her off, Amaya took one of Janai’s hands and squeezed it. Janai looked down at their hands for a moment, surprised. She appreciated the concern, but she needed to grieve alone. “Please leave me,” she requested softly. Amaya nodded, then bent her head and brushed her lips against Janai’s knuckles. It was an odd gesture, too formal, yet also too intimate. Janai felt fresh tears at Amaya’s affection. Amaya looked at her for a moment, and then stood and left.

Janai’s passed the night in a grief-stricken stupor. All her senses were hazy and blurred, indistinct. She sat for a long while, staring blankly at nothing. Finally, she stood and found candles. Sitting by the window, she lit them and turned her thoughts to her sister.

She held a solitary vigil all afternoon and through the night, only moving to light new candles off the old stumps. Her thoughts drifted from Khessa to Khessa’s murderer, and the pain in her chest ignited into fury once more.

The sunrise surprised her. She felt a ragged, neurotic energy vibrating through her exhausted body. She stayed for another few minutes, before standing and going to organize her army.

X

On their second night on the road Janai insisted on cooking dinner. She needed a distraction. Placing her hands on the pile of wood in front of her, she mustered all her energy and poured it out through her palms. Normally she would simply cook on her hot palm. Part of why she was the golden knight was the unusually strong currents of fire under her skin. She could count on one hand the number of times her store of magic had gotten low. In fact, the real problem was keeping it in check when her emotions ran high. But since Khessa had died she had felt cold and empty. The effort of cooking the rice by hand wasn’t worth it. 

The wood was soon burning happily, with bright coals glowing from underneath. She placed the pot of water and rice into the fire along with the smaller pot of water for tea, and then turned to cut the mushrooms and garlic she had found earlier. Since she and Amaya were flying ahead as scouts they had more time in the afternoon to gather food before the troops arrived on foot. Janai could not stand being bored waiting for them. The mushrooms went into the pot lid with a splash of oil and the pot lid went onto some cooler coals near the edge of the fire. 

Stirring the mushrooms occasionally, her thoughts drifted to her sister. Their relationship had been complicated. Janai was hotheaded and impulsive, an imperfect military leader for a careful and conflict avoidant queen. Her sister could be dismissive, patronizing and vindictive. In return, Janai would shout and rage and then regret her words later. 

But her sister was also kind. She had raised Janai in many ways. Khessa had taken the throne when she was 17. Janai was only eight when she found herself suddenly orphaned. Seeing her passion for sparing, her sister took over her training personally. They would fight for hours some days. When Janai surpassed the queen, Khessa had found other teachers to challenge her properly, still coming to watch her fight whenever she could. She named Janai Golden Knight when she was 19. It would’ve been earlier but she had wanted Janai to enjoy childhood first.

Janai was pulled from her thoughts by the tea water boiling. She removed it from the coals, added the tea leaves and placed it close to the fire to keep it warm. A moment later the rice water boiled and she moved it to a cooler area of coals. The mushrooms were done so she put the pot lid onto the rice with the mushrooms still on it. She moved mechanically. The empty feeling in her chest felt like it was battling up her throat to choke her. The distraction hadn’t worked. 

While she cooked Amaya had been tending to Janai’s griffin and fetching more water. Janai was usually so tuned into Amaya’s movements, but today she hardly noticed what she was doing until she sat down next to her.

Since they had left Lux Aurea the day before Amaya had stayed close to her, though they’d barely spoken a word to each other. They had flown together both days and Amaya had made camp in the same clearing as Janai the evening before. Janai always camped away from her soldiers. She slept so lightly that the movement and stirrings of so many bodies ruined her rest. Her sister had always told her that it was dangerous to be so far from backup, but Janai had always felt confident that she would wake up at the smallest sound of an intruder. Amaya hadn’t asked why Janai camped alone. She had simply laid out her bedroll in the same clearing as Janai, catching her eye to check for protests. Janai offered none. If her soldiers found the human’s proximity to their leader odd they kept it to themselves. Her excuse- if anyone asked why she spent time with Amaya-was that she was keeping an eye on her. 

They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Amaya signed ‘how are you?’

Janai shrugged and turned back to her cooking supplies to find her dishes and spoons, not wanting Amaya to see her face. “I’m fine. Just thinking-“ Amaya touched her shoulder. 

‘I can’t see your words.’ Her face was gentle. 

“Sorry. I don’t know how I forgot.”

‘It’s fine.’ She smiled.

Janai tried again. “I’m fine. Really I’m-“ but her throat tightened and she broke off. She could feel tears welling quickly in her eyes. There was no time to stop them. Amaya pulled her into a hug and Janai cried into her shoulder, huge, gulping, uncontrollable sobs. She didn’t know how long they stayed there. Her sister’s loss was like a cold knife in her gut. She couldn’t imagine a time when she would stop crying, now that she had started. Each sob was like a wave on the beach, crashing and then receding and building the next one. 

And yet, somehow her crying began to lessen. Slowly becoming softer until it was under her control. The pain in her stomach and chest faded back to chilly emptiness, a blank grey fog. Amaya’s hand moved soothingly up and down her back. Finally, the tears stopped and they sat there, Amaya still stroking her back, Janai’s face pressed to a massive wet spot on her shoulder. 

A minute later Janai pulled away. ‘I’m sorry’ she signed, not looking at Amaya. 

Amaya shook her head and signed ‘no.’ When Janai looked up at her she saw that there were tears on her cheeks too. She turned and pulled some paper and the endless ink quill from a saddle bag behind her. Janai read over her shoulder as she wrote. ‘I lost my big sister 9 years ago. It was the worst day of my life. I couldn’t imagine life without her. She knew me better than anyone.’

Janai stared at her, amazed and heartbroken that they had this in common. Amaya had mentioned her sister before, had told fond stories of their childhood together, of fighting side by side. Janai had never imagined she could be dead. She lifted her hand and wiped a tear from Amaya’s cheek. “I didn’t know.” Amaya shook her head. “When-when will I stop feeling like this?” She gestured to the gaping hole in her chest. 

Amaya looked at Janai, considering her answer for a moment before bending down to write. ‘For me it’s still there. Sometimes. It’s dull now. Like a nagging, sick tug in my stomach. But I still miss her every day.’ 

Janai swallowed and nodded. She turned to find a handkerchief and noticed the rice still on the fire. She grabbed it out, cursing. She got up and smiled a little down at Amaya ‘I’ll be right back’ she signed, and went to the river just past the edge of the clearing where they were camped. 

She couldn’t believe she had cried like that, particularly with someone else there. She usually kept her feelings buried deep.

She felt different after crying. Not necessarily better. The empty feeling had spread through her, leaving her cold. She crouched down at the stream and splashed her face several times. She drank a few handfuls of water. 

Feeling clearer, and quite tired she walked back to Amaya. She sat down and signed ‘thank you.’ Amaya smiled. 

Sick of all the feelings Janai turned back to the food. She poured the tea through a woven strainer into two cups and then dished the rice (only the bottom was burnt) and the mushrooms into the bowls. She handed Amaya her tea and then her dinner. Amaya thanked her and then took her tea with her left hand and put it down beside her before taking her bowl with her left hand as well. Janai glanced down at Amaya’s right hand. It was hidden in the sleeve of her cloak. 

Amaya caught her looking and shook her head with a smile, taking a large bite of her food. Janai was more curious now. She put down her dinner and held out her hand for Amaya’s. “Please?” 

Amaya sighed and hesitated, but seemed to know that Janai wouldn’t let it alone. She grudgingly pulled back her sleeve and placed her hand in Janai’s, palm up. There were three angry red boils on it. They weren’t large, but they looked sore. She looked up at Amaya, confused, and then the pieces fit together and she dropped her hand in horror. “ _I_ did that,” she said, disgusted. “I-“ she broke off because Amaya was reaching for the paper. 

‘This is why I didn’t show you. I knew you’d be ridiculous about it. It’s fine. It’s just a little burn. You’re worth it.’

Despite her guilt she smiled slightly when she read the note. “Doesn’t it hurt to write?”

‘A little,’ Amaya signed. 

Janai looked at the crazy, beautiful badass in front of her. Amaya had held her down even while Janai’s white hot skin had burned her. A new feeling was emerging from the emptiness in her chest. Or maybe several feelings. If she was honest with herself they weren’t new at all, she was just letting herself feel them now. She was fascinated with this human, enamored, she wanted to be close to her. Wanting to drive the emptiness away, she drew closer to the feeling like a moth to a flame. Closer to Amaya. Amaya looked back at her, a small crease between her eyebrows as if she couldn’t figure out what Janai was thinking. Cupping Amaya’s jaw, Janai kissed her. 

It was messy and too hard, but then Amaya’s calloused hand was on her cheek, holding her steady so she could kiss her properly. Janai melted. The emptiness wasn’t gone, but she was distracted. Amaya kissed her softly and sweetly, her hand trailing from her cheek to the back of her neck. Janai’s hands were in Amaya’s hair, fingers wrapping around the silky strands. Amaya was kissing her so hard and so achingly slow that Janai felt like she might lose her balance, even sitting down. She tangled her fingers more tightly in Amaya’s hair, trying to stay steady, but as she pulled her hair Amaya let out a gasp and pressed a little closer. Taking advantage of her briefly parted lips Janai teased them open with the tip of her tongue. 

All at once the kiss changed, becoming hot and desperate and heady, weeks of sexual tension exploding. Janai needed more. She slid her hands down to Amaya’s waist and pulled her up onto her lap. Amaya let out a small noise and Janai’s whole world narrowed to making her do that again. She bit at Amaya’s bottom lip, her hands tight on her waist and Amaya made another noise, surprised and out of breath. She had one arm wrapped around the back of Janai’s shoulders, holding her close, her uninjured hand was at the side of her neck. 

Janai thought she would like to do this all the time. If she could just spend forever here with Amaya the empty feeling couldn’t get her. Janai’s hands dropped a little to Amaya’s hips and pulled them flush against her stomach while also pressing her torso forward to grind against her. Amaya gasped and her whole body shook. Janai smiled against her lips, ready to do that again, but Amaya was pulling away. She scrambled off Janai’s lap and sat panting heavily, looking at Janai with dark pupils. Janai felt cold at her sudden absence. 

‘No. We can’t do this. It’s not a good idea,’ Amaya signed. Janai’s brain felt slow. The meaning taking a long time to register. 

The emptiness was bleeding back into her and it made her irrationally angry. “So what, you can flirt with me constantly, kiss me as a distraction so you can win a fight, but as soon as I return your interest you’re over it?”

‘No,’ Amaya signed, ‘I want this. I want you,’ looking into Janai’s eyes. Janai looked back stonily, waiting for her to elaborate. They were both still breathing hard. 

Amaya picked up the pen and paper ‘I think you only want this now because you’re grieving, and I won’t fuck you just because you’re in pain and want to distract yourself. That’s not healthy. And I won’t take advan-“

Janai interrupted her, grabbing her chin to make her look up. Amaya slapped her hand away, looking furious, but Janai had her attention. “You don’t get to decide how I grieve! If you don’t want to fuck that’s fine! But don’t try to make it about protecting my feelings and my ‘healing process.’ You want to fuck me, I want to fuck you. Don’t complicate this by trying to look out for my feelings,” she spat the last word disdainfully. 

Amaya’s anger seemed to fade to pity, which just made Janai angrier. Amaya tried to touch her cheek but it was Janai’s turn to bat her hand away. “You’re not my girlfriend, Amaya! Just because we’re attracted to each other- just stop being so fucking soft, alright?”

Amaya let her hand fall, the anger returning to her face. Janai realized now that she had rarely seen her angry. The expression she wore when she fought was intense, exhilarated, wrathful even, but not angry. Amaya clearly loved fighting. She was good at it. She was terrifying. but there was no hate in her eyes like some warriors had. When you fought Amaya in battle you were simply an obstacle in the way of her goal. It was nothing personal. 

She looked angry now though. ‘Fuck you,’ she signed. 

Janai stood up and walked straight out of camp and into the woods. 

She walked for a long time, her anger fading to exhaustion and her grief returning. She didn’t go too far from camp, not wanting to leave Amaya alone at night in Xadia where anyone could stumble across her. 

She walked and she thought about her sister. She was tired. But she had one more thing to do before sleeping.

She followed the riverbed until she came to a swampy section and found the herb she was looking for. She picked a large pouch full and made her way back to camp. 

Amaya was asleep under her cloak next to the remains of the fire. Janai breathed on it and it regained some of its life. She settled on the ground away from Amaya and fell asleep too. 

X

She awoke at dawn as usual, despite her late night. Grumpily wishing she could sleep longer, she threw a corner of her cloak over her head and turned over. It was no good. She could feel energy seeping into her body. Solar energy on top of over-tiredness generally yielded a jittery, hyperactive Janai with much lower brain capacity than normal. 

She got up and went to wash her face and drink from the river. She returned with pots full of water and stoked the fire with her hand, throwing another log on. 

By the time Amaya woke up breakfast was ready. They ate in silence. Amaya seemed wary of another fight and Janai didn’t want to talk about the night before if she could avoid it. 

Janai finished eating first and pulled out the bag of herbs she collected the night before. She mashed them up in the clean pot with a rock and then tore strips of fabric from the sleeve of her cloak. Amaya watched her. Janai waved her over, ‘please,’ she signed. Amaya sighed and moved closer and offered her hand. Janai applied the herbs and tied them on with her makeshift bandages. Amaya smiled a thank you and stood up, avoiding eye contact.

Amaya moved around the fire, packing up the cookware and food. She handed Janai the dishes with a grin and a dramatic gesture towards her bandaged hand to indicate that she couldn’t possibly do the dishes with her injury. Janai grinned back, glad they were somewhat back to normal. 

They broke camp quickly and Janai went to check on the troops before they took off.

X

The army marched for another five days. For the most part, Janai and Amaya relaxed around each other, but they were a little more careful and polite in the following days. Janai was still interested of course, but she’d been dealing with her attraction to Amaya for weeks now. She could handle it. It made it a little easier that Amaya had let up on the flirting. Although having her behind Janai on the griffin each day was distracting. Amaya had adjusted to flying quickly, but when their mount dove unexpectedly or turned sharply she would seize Janai around the waist, clinging on. Janai didn’t try to stop the griffin from diverting course unexpectedly, chasing birds or playing in the air currents. She liked having Amaya warm and close against her back, her breath on Janai’s neck.

Amaya’s hand healed remarkably well with fresh applications of the herbs every day. Janai was healing too, slowly. Khessa’s loss was still heavy, but she was focused on the task ahead. She needed to concentrate on avenging her sister, and preventing more death at the hands of her murderer.

They fell into a routine. Flying all day, setting up camp and foraging for food, cooking, practicing sign language, and strategizing. Amaya had finally yielded to her interrogation. She told Janai all she knew and guessed about the divide between the different human realms, about the death of King Harrow, and how Viren must have stolen the throne from her own nephew, the rightful king. Amaya was worried about her nephews. She had last seen them in the custody of a violent and unstable moonshadow elf.

The day before they were set to arrive at the storm spire the two of them sat at the fire, preparing dinner. Amaya seemed lost in thought, her eyebrows drawn together slightly. After a dinner where they hardly spoke a word to each other Janai cracked, “what are you thinking about?”

Amaya looked surprised at the question and then signed something she didn’t fully catch. She gathered that something of Amaya’s was missing and she was worried. At Janai’s apologetic look she dug paper from her pocket a little impatiently. ‘I’m worried about my nephews. I have a nasty feeling they might be involved in all this. The stakes are so high. I want to arrive. I want this battle to happen! I hate waiting.’ 

“I’m the same. I hate the suspense,” Janai replied. She stood up and nudged Amaya’s shield closer to her with her toe. “It’s been a while since you’ve used that. Want to make sure you’re ready?” Janai always found training quieted her mind and wore her out so she could sleep. Maybe Amaya was the same. 

Amaya seemed to consider the offer. She stood. They were almost chest to chest. Amaya drew Janai’s sword from her sheath and tossed it into the fire pit. Janai let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “No fire sword?” Amaya shook her head. It made sense. She didn’t want to damage Amaya’s armour or weapons this close to a battle, and they’d have a more technically interesting fight if they could properly fence without Janai cutting Amayas sword in half. For the third time.

Janai broke eye contact and walked the short distance to the next clearing of soldiers. They weren’t far that night because the rushing river blocked their noise so Janai didn’t mind their nearness. They looked up at her surprised. “I would like to borrow a sword,” she requested. 

They all looked at her for a moment, then one young soldier stood up and drew his, bowing his head as he offered it to her, hilt first. She took it, “thank you. I’ll return it soon.” She walked back through the trees. 

Amaya was stretching. She had put her armour back on. Janai took a second to admire the striking figure she cut with her armour before she turned her head a little and caught sight of Janai. She grinned and picked up her shield, drawing her sword. Janai tossed her borrowed sword from hand to hand, testing the weight. They circled for a moment. And then Amaya attacked.

Janai immediately felt at a severe disadvantage. Amaya used her shield offensively so often that she essentially had two weapons while Janai only had one. She found herself on the defensive, dodging and retreating. Amaya was grinning, all signs of worry gone.

Amaya won far more bouts than Janai, and by the time they finished she seemed to be in a better mood. They shook hands and Amaya went to bathe in the river while Janai returned her sword to the bemused but intimidated soldier.

Returning to camp she bustled around, tiding their things and fussing unnecessarily, trying very hard not to think about Amaya, flushed from the exercise, naked and dripping wet, just barely out of sight. 

X

The next evening, they left the army and flew ahead to announce themselves at the spire. Dusk was falling when they landed atop the tower. A group of both humans and elves were there to greet them. Amaya jumped down first and ran to sweep the two human children into a hug, lifting them off the ground. Janai was relieved to see Amaya’s nephews unharmed, though this was not a safe place for children, with a rabid army approaching. She dismounted as well but hung back.

Amaya spotted a moonshadow elf behind the boys and her expression hardened. The older boy, Callum, held up placating hands while he explained, “Oh, right! Uh all that stuff at the Banther Lodge was just ah ah uh big misunderstanding. I’ll explain later but Rayla is our friend.” He spelled out Rayla as he spoke. The moonshadow, Rayla, waved awkwardly.

Callums eyes cut between Amaya and Janai as she approached them. “Uh looks like you have an elf friend now too?” He asked.

Amaya pursed her lips as though trying to hide a smile, eyes on Janai’s face for her reaction.

Janai looked back for a moment, eyebrow raised, “We are not friends. She is my prisoner,” Janai corrected unconvincingly, her cheeks warm.

Amaya rolled her eyes and signed to Callum. Janai had trouble reading what she said because she was used to communicating face to face and Amaya was facing mostly away from her. She caught the word ‘cute.’

Desperate to know what Amaya said, Janai heroically focused on the task at hand. She bowed, fingers interlaced and introduced herself.

The arrival of the sunfire army seemed to give everyone fresh hope. Janai spent several hours with her troops, setting up camp at the base of the spire, while Amaya and Callum talked strategy. Janai only saw Amaya once that night, when Janai and her generals ascended the tower to hear the plan. Janai couldn’t take her eyes off Amaya as she explained where everyone would be stationed and how Callum would hold the tower. It was dawning on Janai just how likely it was that they could all die the next day. She had known that of course, but the reality that losing the battle would mean Amaya dying hadn’t really sunk in until now. She could feel panic settling into the pit of her stomach. She had to protect Amaya. Amaya had to be ok. Janai didn’t know what she would do if Amaya was hurt. The strength of her feelings shocked her. More than anything she wanted Amaya safe. Wanted her safe and happy and _with Janai_.

There was no time that night to talk to Amaya, and anyway the idea of telling Amaya about her feelings terrified Janai. She had no idea what she might say to her. Also, the timing was terrible to bother Amaya with her stupid feelings. Instead, Janai focused on preparing her troops and on trying to sleep a little. She would concentrate on winning the battle, and if they both survived she would talk to Amaya after.

X

“They’re just over the next rise!” Shouted the scout, and a ripple went through the army. All around them elves stood straighter and checked pieces of armour. It was a nervous shuffle to prepare, a shiver of fear. 

Janai turned away from Amaya next to her and faced back towards the army. She looked as many soldiers as she could in the eye. Silently, she raised one fiery hot fist and it seemed her whole army’s eyes were on her. Fists rose into the air all through the ranks, mimicking her. So many were shifted into heat form that the army gave off a faint glow. “Lux Aurea!” She shouted, and the answering shout was enormous, echoing off the rocky landscape. 

Turning back to the front, she met Amaya’s eyes automatically. They stared at each other for a moment, frozen in time. “Please be careful,” Janai asked her softly. 

Amaya nodded, ‘You too. Don’t be stupid,’ she signed. Amaya seemed to be searching her face for something. And then she clapped Janai on the shoulder, nodded once and turned to leave, moving towards her position several paces away. 

“Wait!” Janai had suddenly realized that she couldn’t let Amaya walk away from her just like that. Away from her and into this battle that was so stacked against them, where they might die. She had to- 

Janai caught Amaya’s arm and swung her around so quickly she stumbled. Steadying her with hands on her shoulders, Janai kissed her. 

She did it before she could think about how this was a bad idea and everyone was watching and there was about to be a battle. She suddenly needed Amaya to know everything she felt for her, how much she needed her. She poured all her desperation, all her fear for Amaya into the kiss. Amaya recovered quickly, wrapping her arms around Janai’s shoulders to pull herself up towards Janai’s height, one hand gripping the locks at the back of Janai’s neck. Janai’s hands dropped to Amaya’s waist, pulling her still closer. The world around Janai was gone. She was lost in Amaya’s mouth on hers, her hands on Janai’s hair and neck and shoulders, her body pressed against hers, her waist under Janai’s hands. 

Finally, unwillingly, they slowed down, trading small kisses, neither ready to stop touching each other. A grin spread across Amaya’s face and Janai couldn’t help but copy her. ‘Wow’ Amaya mouthed and Janai’s face warmed. 

“I um,” Janai broke eye contact as she continued, “I lied before when I said I didn’t have any, you know, romantic feelings. I do like you”

Amaya smiled slightly. She pulled back just enough to sign ‘I know.’

Janai laughed and Amaya cut it off with another kiss, more lingering and gentle than any of their previous kisses. Amaya’s hands were on the side of her neck and her cheek, holding her like something precious and breakable. Janai’s arms wrapped tighter around Amaya’s waist, pulling her up onto her toes a little. 

When they parted they looked at each other for a moment, the reality of how dire their situation was flooding back, worry creasing Amaya’s brow. Janai kissed her forehead, trying to wipe the tension away. “We’re going to be fine,” she said, though she knew there was no guarantee. 

Amaya smiled a little, kissed her once more and then pulled away. Janai reluctantly let her go. She walked towards her position and then turned, walking backwards to sign, ‘I like you too, elf.’ Janai grinned back at her. 

They took up their positions to wait and at last Janai took stock of where she was and what was around her. She plastered a defiant look on her face and looked around. A few faces looked disapproving, but most just looked confused or close to laughter. She turned back to face the front. 

The human, Soren, was trying to tease Amaya, but she wouldn’t look at him. She faced front, the slightest quirk of a smile on her face. Soren, apparently bored with Amaya refusing to read his lips, rounded on Janai. He seemed to think his jokes were worth risking the wrath of the Golden Knight. Was she not as intimidating as she used to be?

“So how long has that been-“ Soren’s words were cut off by the appearance of the invading army over the hill. Every eye was drawn to them. The dark mage looked sicker than ever, his insect familiar now large enough to curl around his torso. Even from across the field she could see something grotesque about him. It was hard to look at him, like looking at a horrific, festering wound. Beside him rode a young woman, his daughter and also a mage as Janai had been told. The hordes of his monstrous army followed, roaring and spitting like wild beasts. Janai shuddered to see what her people’s sacred relic had been used to create. 

Janai glanced at Amaya involuntarily. She took a deep breath. She had to focus on her troops. Amaya would be fine. She couldn’t be sidetracked by personal matters. The impending battle grew to fill her mind, she could feel her limbs tingling with the nervous, pent up energy of waiting for a fight. Her thoughts of Amaya were stored away, a bright thing to lock up tight and protect until they were safe. She drew her sword.

X

They had won! It was incredible. Janai could not believe their luck. Now she was standing next to Amaya in the dragon queen’s chamber, listening to her speak hopefully about a new era of peace.

The battle had swayed in and out of their favour with the arrival of the dragons, the awful revelation that the mage’s army was impervious to dragon fire, and then finally the arrival of the new human army full of fresh soldiers, led by the small blonde queen.

There had been one heart stopping moment when Janai had thought Amaya was horribly injured. She had run forward to block the gap in their shield-wall, looking over her shoulder to share a smile with Janai. For a moment, the battle faded away and it was just the two of them, as if they were perfectly alone. But while Amaya was distracted, a massive human-beast broke through the line, grabbing her by the throat. She looked tiny and helpless in his huge fist as he shook her. He threw her hard at Janai and she caught her, skidding back several feet with the force. ‘I’m ok,’ Amaya signed, so Janai had passed her to Soren and turned back to the monster, her rage feeding her shift into her heat form.

They had won and Amaya was uninjured and Janai was deliriously happy. She had found Amaya on the battle field and hugged her. Amaya laughed and picked her up, spinning her around. They grinned at each other like fools for a moment before letting go. The fight wasn’t over until they found the mages and helped those who were hurt.

They spent several hours helping collect the injured back to the medical tents that had sprung up around the field, and building funeral pyres. The work was far from over when a meeting of the leaders was called up in the dragon queen’s chambers. So now here they were, humans, elves, and dragons, all alive because they had set aside their differences, standing together as allies and friends. The moonshadow elf, Rayla, was holding hands with Amaya’s nephew, Callum.

Amaya punched Janai’s arm and she looked over at her, putting an expression of fake annoyance on her face and holding out her hand. Amaya took it and they smiled at each other for a moment before turning back to Zubeaia. Amaya’s grip was firm, a steady promise that she wasn’t going anywhere and a reminder that they were both alive.

The dragon queen asked to speak with all the monarchs present and Janai realized with a jolt that she was included in that. Amaya squeezed her hand once and then let go, turning to face her to sign, ‘I’m going to help---‘ but Janai doesn’t understand the last word. 

“The injured?” She guessed. 

Amaya nodded and signed the word again. Janai copied her. Amaya grinned, reaching up to kiss her cheek, and then she was walking away. Janai watched her for a moment and then pulled herself together, wiping the dopy look off her face and turning her attention to the other monarchs.

Janai had always hated meetings and she felt that this one could be much more concise. And could be held tomorrow. However, she tried to stay alert, particularly because the two human monarchs present were actual children and they seemed fully engaged and interested in the proceedings. Janai wondered idly whether adult rulers could appoint regents. 

The dragon queen was leading the discussion and she seemed to have forgotten that not everyone present had spent the last several months asleep. The meeting went on and on, and Janai felt her attention slipping and fatigue from the battle making her body heavy. Now that the danger had passed, grief for her sister and all those who had perished in the battle was settling heavy in her gut.

After what felt like a lifetime of repetitively pledging peace and discussing how best to approach spreading this peace to the rest of the human and Xadian kingdoms, King Ezran yawned theatrically. Janai couldn’t help but grin. _Kids are the best_ , she thought. The queen seemed to remember that everyone was tired from the battle and that these things could be solidified another day. They all wished each other good night, and Janai headed back towards the room she had been assigned.

It was late. The hallways were deserted. Thinking grumpily of Amaya, asleep by now, and the long meeting that had kept them from seeing each other that night, Janai headed for the shared bath on her floor. She heated a bucket of water by sticking her hot hands into it and then took the most satisfying shower she’d had in ages. She tried to let the bad mood seep away. She’d see Amaya in the morning, when they were both refreshed. 

Wrapping herself in one of the fluffy towels helpfully stacked on the shelf, she gathered up her dirty clothes, and walked the short distance back to her room. All the leaders had been given Dragon Guard accommodation.

Curled up on her bed, dressed in sleep shorts and a sleeveless shirt, was Amaya. Her eyes were closed but Janai wasn’t sure she was asleep. She smiled, eyes tracing Amaya’s relaxed face, her collarbone, her pale legs. 

She closed the door and went to the dresser. She found a loose pair of pants and a soft shirt and pulled them on, then walked back to the bed and sat down next to Amaya. Her eyes opened. 

‘Were you asleep?’ Janai signed. 

Amaya shook her head and stretched her legs out, turning onto her back, her shirt riding up a little on her belly. She looked up at Janai fondly. There was a lot of skin visible, more of Amaya’s skin than Janai had ever seen. Amaya jerked her head at her. Janai rolled her eyes but did as she was told anyway, climbing over Amaya until she was straddling her with her hands on either side of her head. It reminded Janai of the first time they kissed. 

“So,” said Janai “does you lying in my bed, half naked”-her hand stroked up one of Amaya’s bare thighs- “mean you’re finally gunna let me fuck you?” 

Amaya smirked up at her and let her eyes trail appreciatively down Janai’s body. Janai kissed her. Soft and lingering. 

For several minutes they stayed in that quiet, warm place, letting the anticipation of sex build, but neither of them actively shifting the kiss into anything faster or hotter. Amaya’s hands were roaming up and down Janai’s sides and back, her neck, her hair, moving unhurriedly, as if she had all the time in the world. She did. Janai wasn’t going to stop her. She would stay here forever if Amaya wanted. 

Without warning, Amaya flipped them over, landing on top of Janai and pressing her wrists into the bed, pulling a gasp from Janai’s lips. She dropped her mouth immediately to Janai’s throat, just below her jaw, trailing impossibly light kisses down to the dip of her collar bone. She exhaled as she skimmed her mouth back up, this time landing just below Janai’s ear. Janai shivered, her body seemed to be vibrating with every touch of Amaya’s mouth. She was insanely turned on already. The beginnings of arousal had been building ever since she’d seen Amaya in her bed. And Janai liked the feeling of Amaya holding her down, liked the idea of Amaya deciding the pace, choosing how much to give Janai, liked surrendering control. 

And then Amaya’s teeth were on Janai’s skin and she couldn’t keep quiet, “Amaya. I need-“ Amaya’s hands left Janai’s wrists and slid down her arms slowly. Amaya was in no hurry. One hand rested on Janai’s throat, not restricting her breathing, just there. The other drifted down to her navel and then dipped below the hem of her shirt and slid painfully slowly up Janai’s abdomen, then her rib cage. Amaya’s fingertip brushed over Janai’s nipple and she arched off the bed, “Please. Please Amaya. More.” 

But the Amaya was pulling away. “Noooo,” Janai complained and Amaya grinned in a self-satisfied way. 

‘What are you saying?’ Amaya signed, looking unconcerned with the desperation in Janai’s face. 

“Nothing! Just uh I don’t know. Your name and to keep going uh..” Janai’s thoughts felt sticky and complicated and Amaya’s slow, steady grinding against her wasn’t helping. Amaya was full on grinning now. 

“You think this is hilarious, don’t you?” Amaya just shrugged, still grinning and leaned down to kiss her again, slow and dirty. Janai’s hands found Amaya’s waist, holding her down, forcing her to grind against Janai in smaller, closer movements. With Janai’s thighs tight together, Amaya’s movement didn’t get nearly enough friction where Janai wanted it. It was a tantalizing suggestion of pressure on her clit, her hips pushing up to try for more contact. This was more for Amaya’s benefit, her breath coming harder and catching sometimes when she ground down. She sat up again and Janai took in the tension in her body, her flushed cheeks, her teeth biting into her bottom lip. She was quite possibly the hottest thing Janai had ever seen. 

Janai’s eyes closed as Amaya’s hand found her breast again, her mouth back on Janai’s throat, teasing her until she was swearing and incoherent. “Fuck Amaya. I want- I want you to fuck me.” Her eyes fluttered open and she saw that Amaya had moved away just far enough to read her lips. Her pupils were huge and her eyes were fixed on Janai’s lips. “I need you to. Been thinking about it for ages. I’d fall asleep trying to think of strategies to beat you, and then in my dream we’d just end up sparring and-fuck” Amaya had twisted her nipple, “you’d pin me and then you’d fuck me.” Making eye contact was too intense, Janai felt electric, like everywhere they touched hummed with an uncomfortable warm buzzing. 

Janai’s words seemed to have changed something in Amaya. She pulled Janai into a sitting position, still sitting in her lap, and impatiently pulled her shirt over her head, Janai tore Amaya’s off as well and kissed her, her hands tugging Amaya shorts down as much as she could, grabbing her ass. She bit marks under her jaw, down her throat and across her collarbone. Amaya let out quiet needy sounds and clutched at Janai’s shoulders. Despite how much she wanted Amaya to fuck her, she now realized that right now she wanted to make Amaya feel good even more. Janai licked once at Amaya’s nipple and then raised her gaze to Amaya’s face, waiting for her to open her eyes and look down before saying: “I want you to come first.” Amaya kissed her and then nodded. 

Amaya stood up in one fluid motion, feet still on either side of her hips. Janai couldn’t help kissing and biting at her thighs, her hipbones and her belly as she slowly pulled her shorts all the way down. Amaya settled herself back into Janai’s lap, kissing her hard. Amaya resumed her tiny movements with her hips, gasping at the contact without her shorts in the way. 

They kissed for a moment, hands roaming, settling into a rhythm with their hips and mouths. Finally, Janai slid a hand between them, pressing teasingly at Amaya’s vagina, but not fucking her. Amaya gasped, pushing down, trying to get more. Janai circled her finger a few times, teasing the most beautifully needy sounds from Amaya. ‘Now. Janai come on,’ Amaya signed in the tiny space between them. Janai slid two fingers in and Amaya groaned, eyes falling closed and rocking forward to get them deeper. 

Janai started up a slow, thorough pace, and Amaya’s hips met each thrust. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She was gasping again and again. Janai licked down her neck and over one nipple and then across her chest to tease the other one. Amaya clutched at her shoulders and the back of her neck. When Janai looked up Amaya’s eyes were open again and staring down at her. 

Janai grinned at the sight of Amaya taken apart like this. She had wanted to do this for so long, had lain awake in bed trying not to think about what Amaya would look like during sex, wondering if she would keep her confident, in control demeanor, or if she would allow herself to be vulnerable.

Janai bit her lip and gripped the backs of Amaya’s thighs as she lay back and slid herself underneath Amaya. Amaya’s eyes were wide and glazed with lust. Janai guided her hips down a little so she could lick one slow, gentle stripe up. When her tongue brushed over Amaya’s clit her whole body shuddered. Amaya was signing again and Janai had trouble understanding from the odd angle and her preoccupation but she caught a couple words, ‘now. Janai! Need. Right now.’ Janai obliged, licking again and again, faster and a little harder. Amaya’s hips stuttered down towards her. All Janai wanted was for Amaya to keep making those delicious little sounds on each exhale. 

When Amaya’s legs started to shake and her breathing kicked up even faster Janai buried her fingers inside her again. Her rhythm stumbled as she pressed down into Janai’s mouth and fingers. She rose and fell three more times and then she was coming, clenching around Janai’s fingers and shaking all over as she fucked herself through it. It went on and on, Amaya gasping out a little cry each time her hips dropped. 

Amaya stilled. She was shaking so hard she didn’t seem able to climb off Janai. Janai removed her fingers and slid herself up towards the headboard until she could sit up and wrap her arms around Amaya. Amaya melted against her and Janai maneuvered them down onto the bed, Amaya sprawled half on top of Janai, still shaking a little, Janai’s arms tight around her. They lay there for over a minute, Amaya’s breath returning to normal, Janai pressing kisses into her hair and stroking her back. Janai was still painfully turned on, but that seemed like a distant fact. She kept replaying what had just happened in her head. It didn’t seem real. 

Amaya propped herself up on one elbow so she could see Janai. ‘That was alright,’ she signed with an affectionate smile. 

Janai laughed, “oh, only alright? I’ll try to do better next time.”

Amaya bit her lip, ‘can’t wait.’

Janai grinned and trailed her fingers over Amaya’s cheek, down her neck and along her collarbone. Amaya batted her hand away and signed, ‘my turn.’

The look on Amaya’s face was intense, like a predator stalking her prey. Janai swallowed and Amaya’s eyes tracked the movement. And then her teeth were back on Janai’s throat and her hands were all over her torso and Janai was immediately exactly as turned on as she had been when Amaya had teased her a few minutes before. Her hips bucked up but there was nothing there. Amaya’s mouth was on one nipple and her hand on the other and Janai couldn’t draw a full breath. Janai gripped Amaya’s shoulders, unconsciously begging for more and yes and _Amaya_. Amaya had pulled away enough to read her lips and her eyes were hot. 

‘Tell me about your dream,’ she ordered. But Janai’s thoughts were disorganized. What dream? Oh. That one. She fought through the fog in her mind, finding the memory. Amaya was still teasing her breasts. She slid one leg in between Janai’s and moved it just right against Janai. She groaned. 

“You- you’d win the fight and you’d pin me and I couldn’t move, but I also didn’t want to. You’d kiss me, and my neck and then you’d move down and start to fuck me. It was so good. But then a second later I’d wake up.”

‘And then?’

Janai couldn’t believe she was telling Amaya this, “then I finished myself off, thinking about you. I was still half asleep and I couldn’t stand it. I came so quickly, so hard.” Amaya stroked a heavy, possessive hand from Janai’s sternum to her abdomen. Her legs fell open a little wider. 

‘You had this dream more than once?’ Amaya asked.

“Yes. The first time was when I was protecting the breach, not long after we met, and the second time was in Lux Aurea, after you taught me how to sign all those dirty words.”

Amaya grinned, sitting back on her heels in between Janai’s legs and pulling her pants all the way off. She glided back over Janai to kiss her, her belly brushing intoxicatingly against Janai’s clit. She slid back and did it again a few more times, kissing her open mouthed and messy. 

Then she dropped her mouth back to Janai’s throat, sucking a bruise there before kissing down her chest, her stomach, over her hipbones. She grazed over Janai’s clit and Janai complained loudly but Amaya wasn’t looking. She was too busy brushing kisses to the insides of her thighs. She bit a mark into the skin there too and Janai’s hips jumped but found nothing to press against. 

And then finally Amaya’s mouth was on her and it was better than the dream, better than she could’ve imagined. She felt like she might burst apart. She was already close, her hand tightening in Amaya’s hair. 

Janai’s heartrate kicked up even faster, pounding in her ears. She teetered on the edge of coming for a moment, but then Amaya pulled back. Janai swore. Amaya grinned up at her and Janai glared back.

Amaya started again, soft and slow, gradually increasing intensity. And then two fingers fucked into her and her hips bounced off the bed, her orgasm building. She could feel heat surging through her body. Usually she could keep her heat form in check, but Amaya had ruined all her self-control. She stuffed her fists under the pillow on either side of her head and focused on pulling the heat up into her upper body, away from Amaya. She was a second from coming when Amaya’s fingers stilled just barely inside her, her mouth gone. 

Janai was full on begging now. Amaya had lifted her head enough to watch her pleas, her gaze hot. “Please let me come. Please Amaya I need- fuck.”

Amaya met her eyes and nodded. And then her mouth was back, gentle and deliberate, growing harder and faster infuriatingly slowly. Once she’d built back up to her previous pace she fucked into Janai again and Janai’s hips began moving erratically. Right on the edge, her hips jerking up, she half expected Amaya to pull away again, but she didn’t. Janai came. Wave after wave of orgasm hit her. Everything was white hot and blinding. 

After a long while, it slowed down. Amaya drew one, two strong aftershocks from her before pulling away. 

Janai blinked her eyes open. She seemed to be looking at an amused Amaya through a haze. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, trying to clear her vision. It wasn’t a haze. It was flames. She sat up quickly, and turned back to the head of the bed, dislodging Amaya from where she sat between Janai’s legs. She swayed with a sudden head rush. Amaya was full on laughing now. Janai grabbed the burning pillows and threw them into the fireplace not far from the foot of the bed, then tried to stamp out the remaining flames, but her hands were still glowing red hot. Amaya lost it completely at that. Janai focused on calming herself down, letting the heat go. A minute later she could smother the shouldering spots on the sheets with her palms. 

Amaya had calmed down a little and was watching her. “Did I burn you?” Janai asked.

Amaya shook her head, a fond smile on her face. 

“I’m so sorry. That should never had happened. You could’ve been hurt.” Amaya shook her head again, cupping Janai’s cheek in her hand. She kissed her softly and Janai felt herself relaxing back down to the bed. She pulled Amaya closer until she was draped over Janai, all loose limbs and soft kisses. 

After several minutes Amaya got up to fill a water glass from a large pitcher by the wash stand. She downed it and then filled it again. Janai watched her. She was so gorgeous Janai could hardly believe it. _This is real_ , she reminded herself. 

Amaya came back to bed and offered Janai the glass, she drank three large gulps, spilling a drip down her neck because of the odd angle of drinking mostly lying down. Amaya kissed the drop from her skin and curled herself against Janai’s side. 

‘Goodnight,’ Amaya signed, smiling into Janai’s shoulder.

Janai kissed the top of her head. ‘Goodnight,’ she signed in reply.

Feeling the late hour and the hard day, Janai was awake just long enough to hear Amaya’s breathing lengthen out before she followed her into sleep. 

X

As always Janai awoke with the sunrise, heat and energy tangling through her until being still was unbearable. Even though she was so comfortable. Amaya was pressed against her back, one arm tight around Janai’s belly and her breath on Janai’s neck. They were both still naked. 

With a reluctant sigh Janai began to gently extricate herself, but Amaya had a death grip on her. When she tried to pull away Amaya just gathered her closer. Finally, she gave up trying to stealthily slip away without waking Amaya and pried herself free. Amaya didn’t wake up. How could she have spent so much time as a soldier and still sleep so deep? 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Janai looked back at Amaya. Her hair was wild, and her cheeks a little flushed from cuddling a sunfire elf all night. She was so beautiful. Janai spent a few moments admiring her long lashes casting shadows on her skin in the slanted, early morning sunlight, the curve of her neck, her long-fingered hand resting on top of the covers where it had fallen when Janai had unwrapped it from her waist. Janai loved Amaya’s hands. They were elegant and scarred, just like the rest of Amaya. Her hands were quick and clever and Janai had spent so much time watching them, trying to understand what they were saying, and picturing them all over Janai’s body.

Janai stood and looked for something presentable to wear. Going through the dresser yielded a slightly musty dragon guard uniform. Better than her clothes from the battlefield. 

Once dressed she went in search of breakfast. She didn’t expect to meet anyone. Her army was camped at the base of the spire. Only the leaders had been asked to stay in the limited quarters in the castle itself. So, she was probably the only one to wake with the sun in the building. She should go to her troops soon, but first breakfast and a little more relaxing. Her officers could keep it all under control and everyone deserved a late start after yesterday. 

She entered the kitchen to find that she had been wrong, two people were already up. The Katolian cook (Janai still didn’t understand why he was there) was busy chopping something with his back turned to the door, and sitting on a counter off to the side sat King Ezran, holding his glow toad on his lap. “Good morning!” He said brightly. 

The cook turned around and bowed at the sight of her, “good morning your highness.” Ezran seemed to remember that maybe her should’ve used a title for Janai too and awkwardly copied the cook’s bow from a sitting position. The glow toad squawked at Ezrans stomach squeezing him. 

“Good morning,” Janai responded with an amused smile and a bow in return, “I didn’t think anyone else would be up.”

The cook laughed, “I always get up early to make breakfast, particularly when there’s kings and queens to feed. And King Ezran here has an incredible talent for knowing when my jelly tarts are about to come out of the oven.” On closer inspection Ezran had a spot of jam on his chin. 

Janai grinned, “any chance there’re any left?” 

The cook looked delighted, “of course! There’ll be another tray in a just a minute. Anything else I can whip up for you?” 

“That is very kind,” she answered, “some tea and breakfast would be lovely. Uh breakfast for two people. Whatever is easy for you to prepare. Please don’t go to any trouble.”

The cook bowed again and returned to his food, humming a little. King Ezran was eyeing her shrewdly. Not sure what to do while she waited she walked over to him and asked “can I sit with you?”

He nodded and she lifted herself onto the counter. “What’s his name,” she asked him, indicating the glow toad. 

“Bait,” he answered, “he’s super friendly. Wanna pet him?” 

Janai smiled and reached over to pet the strange little creature. He grumbled happily and glowed brighter. “He likes you!” Ezran exclaimed. 

They sat in silence for a moment, both watching Bait, then Ezran spoke again, “are you my Aunt Amaya’s girlfriend?” Janai choked on air.

“I’m - what?” Janai stuttered. 

“Well when you arrived she said that you think she’s cute but won’t admit it yet, but then after the battle you were holding hands while we were all talking to the dragon queen and I thought maybe, you know, you admitted it,” Ezran explained. “And you just ordered two breakfasts,” he added. 

Janai looked at him, not sure at all what to say. The kid had been off looking for dragons when Janai had kissed Amaya before the battle, but still, he wasn’t blind. 

“Amaya and I,” she realized she’d never said those words before, “need to talk about a lot of things,” she said lamely. 

Ezran nodded, “well I hope you end up being girlfriends. I think she should have one and you’re nice. Can I meet your griffin?” The topic change surprised Janai so she didn’t process his words right away. 

“Yes of course. I’ve heard you have a way with animals,” she answered. 

“Yeah!” He said happily, “I usually get along with most animals.”

Just then the cook came over with a plate of fresh jelly tarts for Ezran and Bait and a large tray stacked with dishes and covered with a tea towel for Janai. Ezran and Bait dug in with gusto. 

“Thank you!” She said to the cook, “and thank you for the conversation King Ezran. Let’s talk about meeting the griffin this afternoon.” Ezran smiled at her with a mouth full of tart and the cook waved as she took the heavy tray and headed back down the hall. 

She hadn’t caught what Amaya had said to her nephews when they arrived. _< p><i> She thinks I’m cute but won’t admit it yet. <i><p>_ She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. 

She opened the door with difficulty and entered the room. Amaya was standing by the window, wrapped in a blanket, she didn’t turn around. Apparently Janai hadn’t rattled the door enough to shake the floor at least. 

Janai crossed to the bed and put down the tray. Amaya still hadn’t moved. The window was nestled in a little alcove with a seat in it and Amaya was standing close enough to the glass that the walls of the nook blocked her peripheral vision. 

Janai walked up behind her and slid her arms around her waist. Amaya stiffened for a split second and then relaxed against her. Janai put her chin on Amaya’s shoulder and turned to kiss just behind her jaw. Amaya leaned into her, her hands folding over Janai’s around her middle. They stood still for a second, enjoying this wild, beautiful morning where they had peace. 

Amaya lifted her hands to sign slowly, Janai watching over her shoulder, ‘I woke up and you were gone. I thought maybe you,’ she paused, maybe looking for a word Janai knew, ‘left.’

Amaya had reason to think that. Janai had pretended not to be interested in Amaya for ages, had denied her feelings only a few days before when they kissed in their camp. But she wasn’t going to do that anymore. She lifted her hands to sign in front of Amaya’s chest, ‘no. I’m not leaving. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about before.’ She wished she had a bigger vocabulary. ‘I want you. I want us.’

She turned her head to kiss the side of Amaya’s neck again. Amaya shivered. ‘Ok?’ Janai asked. Amaya nodded vigorously and Janai laughed into her neck. 

She kissed Amaya’s skin slowly, feather light and reverent. Soon they would talk properly, but right now she just wanted to touch Amaya’s soft skin and Amaya seemed content to let her. She couldn’t believe she was allowed to do this. Her arms were back around Amaya’s waist, holding her close. Her mouth trailed down to the muscle between Amaya’s neck and her shoulder, slowly down Amaya’s shoulder-blade a short way and then back up her spine, all the way up the back of her neck to her hair. Amaya’s breath was coming faster, her head tilted to allow Janai easier access to her neck, and she pushed back into Janai’s chest.

Janai sucked a mark onto the top of her shoulder and Amaya’s hips jerked forward a little. Janai grinned and moved an inch to make a second mark next to the first. Amaya’s neck smelled so good. She slid a hand down, tight against Amaya’s stomach, but barely there as it ghosted over Amaya’s clit. Amaya’s breath caught. She bit her neck and slid her hand back up, brushing against her one more time. Amaya gasped and her hips twitched. Janai reached up and tugged at the blanket still tangled over one of Amaya’s shoulders. She got it loose and it fell to the ground. Janai pressed in close again and Amaya shivered. Janai’s hands roamed over Amaya’s soft skin, tracing muscles and scars, sometimes dancing lower ever so slowly, then back up again. When she pulled away from Amaya’s neck she noticed that Amaya was signing again, ‘fuck. Janai. Your mouth-‘ 

Janai finally let one hand drift lower, her other hand brushing Amaya’s nipple. At Janai’s first touch Amaya let out a tiny groan. Janai began moving two fingers in small, light circles. Amaya’s head fell back on her shoulder. She continued like that, gradually increasing the pressure and planting messy kisses wherever she could reach, Amaya gasping and pushing into Janai’s hand. Janai’s free hand was around Amaya’s ribs, holding her close. Amaya came with a helpless shout, Janai’s teeth on her skin. Janai pulled two more smaller orgasms out of her before she sagged against Janai, limp and trembling.

Janai kept her close, holding her up, letting her catch her breath. Several moments later Amaya turned around in her arms and kissed her. The morning sun streaming through the window was warm on their skin as they kissed languidly, both happy just to be close to one another. Janai’s hands slid over Amaya’s bare back and sides, tracing the curve of her hips and the muscles of her shoulders.

After a while, they broke apart and Janai crouched to retrieve Amaya’s blanket from the floor. She wrapped it tight around Amaya’s shoulders and kissed her cheek before going back to the bed to retrieve the breakfast tray. Amaya pulled a side table closer to the window and settled herself on one side of the window seat, feet stretched out. Janai placed the tray on the table and sat next to her, Amaya’s cold toes burrowing under her thigh.

Most of the food was still warm enough. Janai reheated the tea with her hands and then poured two cups and handed one to Amaya. They ate breakfast happily, both hungry. There were thick slices of malty bread with loads of butter, two kinds of cheese (one hard and sharp, the other soft and creamy), smoked bacon, sliced apples, and of course, jelly tarts.

They signed while they ate, discussing plans for the following days and recounting details of the battle that the other might have missed. They both had to finger spell words frequently for Janai’s benefit, but Janai didn’t mind; they weren’t in any rush. She smiled indulgently through a highly dramatic account of one of Amaya’s more epic moments the day before, the tone of the story somewhat ruined by the fact that Amaya’s mouth was comically full.

They sat in silence for a while, both enjoying the food. ‘Did you see anyone when you went for breakfast?’ Amaya asked eventually.

‘Just the cook and King Ezran. Why?’

‘I was wondering if we should be doing something right now. I’m staying here until someone tells me I have to go be productive. We’ve earned it.’ Amaya crossed her arms with a theatrically stubborn pout. It was very cute.

‘Agreed,’ Janai signed, a smile tugging at her lips.

‘What was Ezran doing up this early?’

Janai grinned, ‘eating jelly tarts.’

Amaya laughed

‘He’s a funny kid,’ Janai continued.

‘What did you talk about?’

“His glow toad, mostly. Oh, and he asked me if I was your girlfriend,” Janai said aloud. It had seemed like something funny to tell Amaya, but now that she’d said it she was panicking. She didn’t mean to start a serious conversation about the status of the relationship. It was way too soon to have that talk.

Amaya was still smiling, but her gaze was more focused now. ‘And what did you tell him?’ She asked.

“I told him you and I needed to talk. But we don’t have to talk right now! I just thought it was cute that he asked.” Janai explained, hoping Amaya would let the topic go.

Amaya looked at her for a moment. Janai squirmed under her gaze, feeling her cheeks growing hot. ‘I wouldn’t mind being your girlfriend,’ Amaya signed. She had to fingerspell ‘girlfriend’. ‘If that’s what you want,’ she added.

Janai couldn’t handle how cute Amaya was. She was going to die. “I’d like that,” she managed.

‘Ok,’ Amaya signed, a massive grin spreading over her face.

‘Ok,’ Janai replied, grinning back. Amaya kissed her.

Sitting there in the sunlight, everything seemed less daunting, less complicated. The future was uncertain, with the dark mage still at large and the world in upheaval, but Janai felt grounded and steady with Amaya beside her. Even the prospect of returning to Lux Aurea to mourn her sister and formally take the throne was less horrible if Amaya was coming with her. Amaya could handle anything.

Even with their relationship so new and exhilarating, Janai felt a bone deep sense of calm and belonging. The morning was bright and peaceful, and Amaya was warm and solidly present beside her. They would protect each other, whatever happened.

**Author's Note:**

> If you got this far, thanks for reading!
> 
> This is my first fic! I’ve been reading fanfiction for a decade but I’ve never actually written any. Janaya ticks all of my boxes. Enemies to lovers sword wielding lesbians with hearts of gold?? The best. 
> 
> I didn’t have my laptop while I was writing this so it was just a super long note in my phone until it was almost finished. Once I was reunited with my computer I pasted it into a word document and found out it was 18 thousand words?! When did that happen?


End file.
